Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अतो न कार्यमस्माभिर्ब्राह्मणानां तु हेलनम् । हेलनाद्बहवो दोषा भविष्यंति न चान्यथा

Transliteration

ato na kāryamasmābhirbrāhmaṇānāṃ tu helanam | helanādbahavo doṣā bhaviṣyaṃti na cānyathā

Translation

لہٰذا ہمیں برہمنوں کی ہرگز تحقیر نہیں کرنی چاہیے؛ تحقیر سے بہت سے عیوب لازماً پیدا ہوتے ہیں—اس کے سوا کوئی انجام نہیں۔

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kāryam: to be done; proper (act)
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• asmābhiḥ: by us
• asmābhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (1st person pronoun, instrumental plural)

• brāhmaṇānām: of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive plural)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• helanam: disrespect; slighting
• helanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helana (प्रातिपदिक; √hel (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• helanāt: from disrespect; due to disrespect
• helanāt: Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular)

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• doṣāḥ: faults; evils
• doṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• bhaviṣyanti: will arise; will occur
• bhaviṣyanti: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारार्थक (otherwise)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan tīrtha setting: pilgrims and devas/ascetics in a cedar-lined hermitage precinct; a central figure instructs companions on the danger of brāhmaṇa-contempt, with brāhmaṇas depicted serene and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor toward the spiritually disciplined safeguards society and oneself; contempt breeds cascading faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited; the verse is a general dharma teaching within the Kedāra section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical prohibition against helanā (disrespect).