Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

षट्क र्मतत्त्वाभिरतेषु नित्यं विप्रेषु वेदार्थकुतूहलेषु । न तेषु भक्त्या प्रविशंति घोरं महाभयं प्रेतभवं कदाचित्

Transliteration

ṣaṭka rmatattvābhirateṣu nityaṃ vipreṣu vedārthakutūhaleṣu | na teṣu bhaktyā praviśaṃti ghoraṃ mahābhayaṃ pretabhavaṃ kadācit

Translation

Ai với lòng tin kính phụng sự các Bà-la-môn—những vị luôn an trú trong nguyên lý của sáu bổn phận và khát cầu nghĩa lý Veda—thì người ấy chẳng bao giờ rơi vào nỗi kinh hoàng ghê gớm ấy: đại sợ hãi của việc trở thành preta, linh hồn vất vưởng.

Word by Word

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• karma: action, rite
• karma: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (in compound)

• tattva: principle, truth
• tattva: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (in compound)

• ṣaṭ-karma-tattva: the principles of the six duties/rites
• ṣaṭ-karma-tattva: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समाहार/निर्देश); समासपूर्वपदसमूह (in next compound)

• abhirateṣu: among those engaged (in)
• abhirateṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi + ram (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle ‘अभिरत’ = engaged/delighting), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• ṣaṭ-karma-tattva-abhirateṣu: among those devoted to the principles of the six duties
• ṣaṭ-karma-tattva-abhirateṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ-karma-tattva (समास) + abhirata (abhi+ram धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; ‘षट्कर्मतत्त्वेषु अभिरतेषु’

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-adverb of time)

• vipreṣu: among Brahmins
• vipreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• veda: Veda
• veda: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• artha: meaning
• artha: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• kutūhala: curiosity, eagerness
• kutūhala: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: kutūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासान्तपद (in compound)

• vedārtha-kutūhaleṣu: among those curious about the meaning of the Veda
• vedārtha-kutūhaleṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kutūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे विशेषणवत्, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘वेदार्थे कुतूहलम् येषां ते’ (अर्थतः बहुव्रीहिसदृश), here used as locative plural qualifier of vipreṣu

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

• teṣu: among them
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• bhaktyā: by devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• praviśanti: enter
• praviśanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying mahābhayam/pretabhavam)

• mahābhayam: great fear
• mahābhayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pretabhavam: the state of being a preta (ghostly existence)
• pretabhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रेतस्य भावः/भवः’

• kadācit: ever, at any time
• kadācit: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis seeking phala of conduct at Prabhāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa offers cloth/food and water to a serene Veda-reciting brāhmaṇa; behind, a shadowy preta-form dissolves into light, symbolizing fear removed.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Veda
• Ṣaṭkarma
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Veda-rooted brāhmaṇas and their dharma is said to protect one from fearful post-death states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharmic association and service are presented as powerful safeguards.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is commanded; it commends supporting brāhmaṇas devoted to ṣaṭkarma and Vedic study.