Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्संसर्गाश्च नश्यंति तत्क्षणादेव तापसाः । अत्र स्नात्वा ब्रह्महत्यां मुमुचे कालभैरवः

Transliteration

tatsaṃsargāśca naśyaṃti tatkṣaṇādeva tāpasāḥ | atra snātvā brahmahatyāṃ mumuce kālabhairavaḥ

Translation

وحتى دنسُ المخالطة لتلك الآثام يزول في الحال، أيها الزهّاد. وهنا، بالاغتسال، تخلّص كالابهايرافا من إثم قتل البراهمن (براهمهاتيا).

Word by Word

• तत्संसर्गाः: those contacts/associations
• तत्संसर्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तस्य संसर्गाः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नश्यन्ति: perish
• नश्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तस्मिन् क्षणे/तस्य क्षणात्)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तापसाः: ascetics
• तापसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालक्रिया

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• मुमुचे: was released from / got rid of
• मुमुचे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• कालभैरवः: Kālabhairava
• कालभैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (कालरूपः भैरवः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivatīrtha (implied ‘atra’)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tāpasas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a luminous tīrtha, ascetics listen as Sūta declares instant dissolution of sin-taint; a visionary vignette shows Kālabhairava bathing, the dark stain of brahmahatyā lifting like smoke from his form.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhairava
• Brahmahatyā
• Śivatīrtha (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is portrayed as immediate and decisive—purifying even severe transgressions and their residual taints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the local Setukhaṇḍa tīrtha ‘here’ (contextually Śivatīrtha) as powerful enough to remove brahmahatyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha is stated as the means of purification.