Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

उन्मत्तोंऽधश्च बधिरो वेदनिन्दक एव च । हयगोऽश्वोष्ट्रदमको नक्षत्रैर्यश्च जीवति

Transliteration

unmattoṃ'dhaśca badhiro vedanindaka eva ca | hayago'śvoṣṭradamako nakṣatrairyaśca jīvati

Translation

Kẻ điên, người mù, người điếc, và kẻ phỉ báng Veda; kẻ buôn ngựa, người huấn luyện ngựa và lạc đà, và kẻ mưu sinh bằng thuật chiêm tinh theo các nakṣatra—những hạng ấy cũng bị xem là không xứng đáng thọ nhận.

Word by Word

• unmattaḥ: mad, insane
• unmattaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• andhaḥ: blind
• andhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• badhiraḥ: deaf
• badhiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: badhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vedanindakaḥ: reviler of the Veda
• vedanindakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + nindaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘वेदस्य निन्दकः’

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

• hayagaḥ: horse-handler / one associated with horses
• hayagaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haya (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘हयान् गच्छति/हयेषु गः’ (one who goes with/among horses)

• aśvoṣṭradamakaḥ: tamer of horses and camels
• aśvoṣṭradamakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + uṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + damaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (aśva+uṣṭra) + तत्पुरुष: ‘अश्वोष्ट्रयोः दमकः’

• nakṣatraiḥ: by/through stars (astrology)
• nakṣatraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• jīvati: lives, makes a living
• jīvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Veda-reciter sits near the shrine; in contrast, a Veda-reviler gestures dismissively. Nearby are horse traders and trainers with animals; an astrologer consults nakṣatra charts—shown as cautioned recipients.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity should uphold śruti and dharma; supporting Veda-revilers or harmful/tainted livelihoods weakens religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a tirtha where right conduct around worship and giving is emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance for dāna: avoid giving to those listed when choosing qualified recipients.