Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

न ब्राह्मणान्परीक्षेत श्राद्धे क्षेत्रनिवासिनः । सुमहान्परिवादोऽस्य ब्राह्मणानां परीक्षणे

Transliteration

na brāhmaṇānparīkṣeta śrāddhe kṣetranivāsinaḥ | sumahānparivādo'sya brāhmaṇānāṃ parīkṣaṇe

Translation

شرادھ کے عمل میں مقدّس کھیتر کے رہنے والے برہمنوں کی جانچ یا آزمائش نہ کی جائے؛ برہمنوں کو پرکھنے میں بہت بڑا عیب اور ملامت لازم آتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• parīkṣeta: should examine/test
• parīkṣeta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kṣetra-nivāsinaḥ: residents of the sacred place
• kṣetra-nivāsinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘क्षेत्रे निवसन्ति’ (inhabitants of the holy place)

• su-mahān: very great
• su-mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्ग/उपपदेन अतिशयार्थः

• parivādaḥ: blame, reproach
• parivādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asya: of this (act)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇānām: of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• parīkṣaṇe: in examining/testing
• parīkṣaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parīkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience within the Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa prepares a śrāddha: darbha spread, piṇḍas arranged, water-pot and sesame; local Brāhmaṇas seated calmly while the host folds hands, refraining from questioning them.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇas
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (implied by kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity in śrāddha is upheld through humility and reverence, not suspicion; disrespect toward Brāhmaṇas is treated as a grave fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, indicated by the instruction concerning kṣetra-resident Brāhmaṇas in śrāddha performance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During śrāddha, do not subject the kṣetra-nivāsī Brāhmaṇas to examination or qualification-testing; doing so incurs serious blame (parivāda).