Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

केचित्प्राणपरा भीताः पाखण्डाश्रममास्थिताः । हेतुवादपरा मूढा निःशौचा निरपेक्षकाः

Transliteration

kecitprāṇaparā bhītāḥ pākhaṇḍāśramamāsthitāḥ | hetuvādaparā mūḍhā niḥśaucā nirapekṣakāḥ

Translation

บางพวกหวาดกลัว ยึดติดกับชีวิต จึงไปพึ่งพาสำนักพวกนอกธรรม (ปาขัณฑะ) คนเขลาที่หมกมุ่นแต่เหตุผลโต้เถียง กลับกลายเป็นผู้ไม่บริสุทธิ์ และเฉยเมยต่อวินัยอันชอบธรรม

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चिद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• प्राणपराः: devoted to life (self-preserving)
• प्राणपराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राणेषु पराः/प्राणपराः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• भीताः: afraid
• भीताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे कृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पाखण्डाश्रमम्: the heretical order/āśrama
• पाखण्डाश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पाखण्डानां आश्रमः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• आस्थिताः: having adopted/entered
• आस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक धातु (आ-स्था) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स्थित/आश्रित’ अर्थे

• हेतुवादपराः: devoted to rationalist argumentation
• हेतुवादपराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेतुवाद (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हेतुवादे पराः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मूढाः: deluded
• मूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• निःशौचाः: unclean/without purity
• निःशौचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/निपात) + शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/निः-पूर्वक विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘अशुचयः/अशौचिनः’ अर्थे

• निरपेक्षकाः: indifferent/without regard
• निरपेक्षकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + अपेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक तद्धितान्त/प्रातिपदिक; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘अनपेक्षिणः’ अर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Frightened survivors take shelter in heterodox orders; scenes of argumentative assemblies, finger-pointing disputants, neglected ritual cleanliness, contrasted with a distant serene shrine horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Pākhaṇḍa
• Hetuvāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When fear governs life, one may abandon dharma; purity and humility are upheld over mere debate and self-interest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the narrative backdrop emphasizing the triumph of divine order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse characterizes certain behaviors as contrary to śauca and dharma.