Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्वंगनागमः । एषां संयोगजं चान्यन्नराणां पंचमं हि यत्

Transliteration

brahmahatyā surāpānaṃ steyaṃ gurvaṃganāgamaḥ | eṣāṃ saṃyogajaṃ cānyannarāṇāṃ paṃcamaṃ hi yat

Translation

قتلُ البراهمة، وشربُ المسكر، والسرقةُ، ومجامعةُ زوجةِ الغورو—ومعها ذنبٌ خامسٌ ينشأ من امتزاج هذه الآثام بين الناس.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahmin-slaying (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ hatyā)

• सुरापानम्: drinking liquor
• सुरापानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (surāyāḥ pānam)

• स्तेयम्: theft
• स्तेयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गुरु-अङ्गना-आगमः: approaching the guru’s wife (adultery)
• गुरु-अङ्गना-आगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (गुरोः अङ्गनायाः आगमः = going to the teacher's wife)

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (pronoun)

• संयोग-जम्: arising from their combination
• संयोग-जम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयोग (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (saṃyogāt jāta = arising from combination)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Visheshya/Predicate (Complement/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcasrotā Sarasvatī at Prabhāsa (as prāyaścitta-field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a priest/sage enumerates the grave sins to pilgrims; behind them, the five streams flow as a promise of purification, while shadowy personifications of sins dissolve into the water’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā
• Surāpāna
• Steya
• Gurvaṅganāgama
• Pañcama pāpa (combined sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma frankly names grave transgressions so that beings may seek purification through repentance, restraint, and sacred remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares the praise of Sarasvatī’s Pañcasrotā at Prabhāsa as a purifier of even severe sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it enumerates the categories of grave sins relevant to tīrtha-based expiation.