Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नश्च सुरापी च स्तेयी गोघ्नश्च यो नरः । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्रस्य वचनं यथा

Transliteration

brahmaghnaśca surāpī ca steyī goghnaśca yo naraḥ | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo rudrasya vacanaṃ yathā

Translation

Selbst wer einen Brāhmaṇa erschlagen hat, Rauschtrank trinkt, stiehlt oder eine Kuh tötet, wird von allen Sünden befreit, gemäß der Verkündigung Rudras.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• सुरापी: a drinker of liquor
• सुरापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरापिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + पी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• स्तेयी: a thief
• स्तेयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेयिन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्तेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• गोघ्नः: a cow-killer
• गोघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; गो + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; यः-इति विशेष्य

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/मध्यस्थभावे (passive sense)

• सर्वपापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्वपापेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful sinner stands at the riverbank with folded hands; Rudra’s presence is suggested as a protective aura above the waters, while the sage’s words promise liberation from even the darkest transgressions.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s revelation affirms that profound purification is possible—even for grave transgressions—through sincere engagement with sacred dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā (Narmadā) tradition and its Purāṇic teaching, which is presented as exceptionally purifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse does not list a separate rite; it emphasizes the purificatory power guaranteed by Rudra’s teaching (contextually, devout hearing/embracing of it).