Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40
Devanagari script
अश्वत्थे चरणं दत्त्वा ब्रह्महत्या प्रजायते । निष्कारणं संकुथित्वा नरके पच्यते ध्रुवम्
Transliteration
aśvatthe caraṇaṃ dattvā brahmahatyā prajāyate | niṣkāraṇaṃ saṃkuthitvā narake pacyate dhruvam
Translation
অশ্বত্থ (পিপল) গছত পা থোৱাত ব্রহ্মহত্যাসম পাপ জন্মে। আৰু যিয়ে বিনা কাৰণে তাক আঘাত কৰে, সি নিশ্চয় নৰকত দগ্ধ হয়।
Word by Word
अश्वत्थेon/at the aśvattha tree
अश्वत्थे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन
चरणम्a foot/step
चरणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन
दत्त्वाhaving placed/given
दत्त्वा:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Root√दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले (having done)
ब्रह्महत्याthe sin of brahmin-slaying
ब्रह्महत्या:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
प्रजायतेarises, is produced
प्रजायते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√जन् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
निष्कारणम्without cause, groundlessly
निष्कारणम्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिः + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) (अकारणम्)
संकुथित्वाhaving harmed/tormented (it)
संकुथित्वा:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + √कुथ् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले
नरकेin hell
नरके:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootनरक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
पच्यतेis cooked/tormented
पच्यते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√पच् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
ध्रुवम्certainly
ध्रुवम्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
Speaker
Brahmā (deduced from 'Brahma–Nārada saṃvāda' colophon context)
Characters & Entities
A
Aśvattha (Pippala)B
BrahmahatyāN
NarakaFAQs
Sacred presence demands reverence; harming or dishonoring what is worship-worthy becomes a grave dharmic transgression.
The Aśvattha itself is treated as a sanctified locus; the warning protects the integrity of this living ‘tīrtha’.
A prohibition: do not step on or needlessly damage the Aśvattha.