Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

सत्याद्वापि स विज्ञेयो महापातककारकः । युष्मद्भीत्या समायाताः स्वर्गिणः शरणं मम

Transliteration

satyādvāpi sa vijñeyo mahāpātakakārakaḥ | yuṣmadbhītyā samāyātāḥ svargiṇaḥ śaraṇaṃ mama

Translation

纵使以“真实”为名，此人亦当被认作造作大罪者：若他弃舍那些因惧你们而来投我求庇护者——即便他们是天界之众。

Word by Word

• सत्यात्: from truth
• सत्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विज्ञेयः: to be known/recognized
• विज्ञेयः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/‘to be known’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• महापातककारकः: doer/causer of a great sin
• महापातककारकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक + कारक (प्रातिपदिक); महा + पातक (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महापातकस्य कारकः = maker of great sin)

• युष्मद्भीत्या: through fear of you
• युष्मद्भीत्या: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युष्मद्-भीति = fear of you)

• समायाताः: having come
• समायाताः: Karta (Predicate participle to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having come’

• स्वर्गिणः: the dwellers of heaven
• स्वर्गिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Samudra (Sāgara), lord of rivers

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn pronouncement: the speaker declares ‘mahāpātaka’ while pointing toward trembling celestial beings seeking shelter; brāhmaṇas listen, the sea and sky meeting behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Svargiṇas (heavenly beings)
• Mahāpātaka
• Śaraṇāgata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No moral pretext—even ‘truth’ as an excuse—justifies betraying the duty to protect those who have sought refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where narratives teach that refuge-dharma sustains cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on defining grave sin (mahāpātaka) in relation to śaraṇāgata-dharma.