Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

पाखंडान्म्लेच्छजातींश्च दस्यूंश्चैव सहस्रशः । नात्यर्थं धार्मिका ये च ब्रह्मब्रह्मद्विषः क्वचित्

Transliteration

pākhaṃḍānmlecchajātīṃśca dasyūṃścaiva sahasraśaḥ | nātyarthaṃ dhārmikā ye ca brahmabrahmadviṣaḥ kvacit

Translation

เหล่าเดียรถีย์ ชนเผ่ามเลจฉะ และโจรผู้ร้ายนับพัน รวมถึงผู้ที่ไม่ตั้งมั่นในธรรม และผู้ที่เกลียดชังพระพรหมและพราหมณ์ (พระองค์จะทรงปราบปราม)

Word by Word

• pākhaṇḍān: heretics/sectarians
• pākhaṇḍān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pākhaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• mleccha-jātīn: mleccha tribes/castes
• mleccha-jātīn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mleccha (प्रातिपदिक) + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (म्लेच्छानां जातयः)

• ca: and
• ca: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• dasyūn: bandits/robbers
• dasyūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dasyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/निश्चय (emphatic particle)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + śas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘-शः’ वितरणार्थक (by thousands)

• na: not
• na: Discourse (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• atyartham: excessively/very much
• atyartham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atyartham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (excessively)

• dhārmikāḥ: righteous (people)
• dhārmikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (used substantively)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• brahma-brahma-dviṣaḥ: haters of Brahman/the brahmins
• brahma-brahma-dviṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + dviṣ (कृदन्त, √dviṣ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः/ब्राह्मणस्य द्विषः = द्वेषिणः); ‘dviṣ’ = वर्तमानकृदन्त (शत्रु/द्वेषी)

• kvacit: sometimes
• kvacit: Kāla/Deśa (Time/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (at some time/somewhere)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kalki’s campaign extends to subduing heretics, marauders, and those hostile to Brahman and brāhmaṇas; the imagery is less about a single battle and more about sweeping purification of a fractured society.

Characters & Entities

• Pākhaṇḍa
• Mleccha-jāti
• Dasyu
• Brāhmaṇa
• Brahman (sacred order)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text frames dharma as a civilizational ethic—protecting sacred learning and restraining lawlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the chapter’s sacred setting, though this verse is about Kali-yuga conditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of groups associated with adharma.