Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

इयं विशुद्धिरज्ञानाद्धत्वा चाकामतो द्विजम् । कामतो ब्राह्मणवधे निष्कृतिर्न विधीयते

Transliteration

iyaṃ viśuddhirajñānāddhatvā cākāmato dvijam | kāmato brāhmaṇavadhe niṣkṛtirna vidhīyate

Translation

هذه الطهارة إنما تُعمل حين يُقتل دْوِجَا (المولود مرّتين) بغير قصد بسبب الجهل. أمّا قتلُ البراهمن (brāhmaṇa) عمدًا فلا تُشرَع له أيّ نِسْكْرِتي (فِدية/تكفير).

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she/this [purification])
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विशुद्धिः: purification, absolution
• विशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance, due to ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action): “having killed”

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

• अकामतः: unintentionally
• अकामतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: akāmataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): “unintentionally/without desire”

• द्विजम्: a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कामतः: intentionally
• कामतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāmataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): “intentionally/with desire”

• ब्राह्मणवधे: in the killing of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणवधे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ब्राह्मणस्य वधः

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विधीयते: is prescribed, is enjoined
• विधीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vidhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ethical-expiatory teaching context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn council scene: elders explain the difference between accidental and deliberate killing; the penitent is grief-stricken; a dharma-scale motif or manuscript underscores ‘intent’ as decisive.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intention matters in dharma: accidental wrongdoing may be purified, while deliberate grievous harm is treated as beyond ordinary expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya setting, linking moral discipline to pilgrimage sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It distinguishes cases where prāyaścitta/niṣkṛti is applicable (unintentional) versus not prescribed (intentional brāhmaṇa-killing).