Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

अगम्यागमने पापमयाज्ययाजने कृते । स्तेयाच्च ब्रह्मगोहत्यागुरुघाताच्च पातकम् । तत्सर्वं नश्यते पापं वृषोत्सर्गे कृते तु वै

Transliteration

agamyāgamane pāpamayājyayājane kṛte | steyācca brahmagohatyāgurughātācca pātakam | tatsarvaṃ naśyate pāpaṃ vṛṣotsarge kṛte tu vai

Translation

Die Sünde, die aus dem Umgang mit dem Verbotenen entsteht, aus Opfern für Unwürdige, und die Vergehen aus Diebstahl, aus dem Töten eines Brāhmaṇa oder einer Kuh sowie aus dem Mord am eigenen Guru — all diese Sünde wird wahrlich vernichtet, wenn vṛṣotsarga vollzogen wird.

Word by Word

• अगम्यागमने: in forbidden intercourse/approach
• अगम्यागमने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगम्य (कृदन्त; √गम् with अ-; ‘not to be approached’) + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative: ‘in the act of going to the unapproachable/forbidden’)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here as subject with नश्यते)

• अयाज्ययाजने: in sacrificing for an unfit person
• अयाज्ययाजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयाज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘one who should not be sacrificed for’) + याजन (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sacrificing/performing sacrifice’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कृते: when done/committed
• कृते: Kala (Time/Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-रूप; सप्तमी-एकवचन (locative absolute-like: ‘when done/if committed’)

• स्तेयात्: from theft
• स्तेयात्: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

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

• ब्रह्मगोहत्यागुरुघातात्: from brahmin-slaying, cow-slaying, and killing a guru
• ब्रह्मगोहत्यागुरुघातात्: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + गो (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समाहार; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (ablative; dvandva of sins: ‘brahma-hatyā, go-hatyā, guru-ghāta’)

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

• पातकम्: a grave sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (apposition to पापम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सर्वम्)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (collective: ‘all of it’)

• नश्यते: perishes/is destroyed
• नश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (re-stated as subject/apposition)

• वृषोत्सर्गे: in/at the bull-release rite
• वृषोत्सर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कृते: when performed
• कृते: Kala (Time/Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-रूप; सप्तमी-एकवचन (locative: ‘when done’)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (associated Śiva-kṣetra tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent devotee at the riverbank performs vṛṣotsarga; dark, smoky ‘sins’ dissolve into light around the bull and the Śiva-kṣetra; priests and sages witness the transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣotsarga
• Brahmahatyā
• Gohatyā
• Gurughāta
• Steya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes that sincere tīrtha-based charity and prescribed rites can function as powerful prāyaścitta for even grave transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Māṇḍavya-tīrtha praise within Revā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga (release/donation of a bull) is stated as a potent expiatory act.