Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अर्धक्रोशान्तरान्मध्ये ब्रह्महत्या न संविशेत् । सोमनाथप्रभावोऽयं वाराणस्याः समः स्मृतः

Transliteration

ardhakrośāntarānmadhye brahmahatyā na saṃviśet | somanāthaprabhāvo'yaṃ vārāṇasyāḥ samaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

„Innerhalb einer halben Krośa kann die Sünde des Brahmanenmordes nicht eindringen. Dies ist die Macht Somanāthas, als der von Vārāṇasī gleich erachtet.“

Word by Word

• अर्धक्रोशान्तरात्: from (a distance of) half a krośa interval
• अर्धक्रोशान्तरात्: Apadana (Source/limit/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध-क्रोश-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक; अर्ध + क्रोश + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle/within
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्महत्या: the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• संविशेत्: would enter
• संविशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सोमनाथप्रभावः: the power of Somanātha
• सोमनाथप्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; सोमनाथ + प्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाराणस्याः: of Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समः: equal
• समः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• स्मृतः: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘इति स्मृतः’ = is considered

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An invisible sacred circle is implied around Somanātha; dark personified brahmahatyā halts at the boundary while the inner space glows like Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā
• Somanātha
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain Śaiva holy zones are portrayed as spiritually inviolable—purity is safeguarded by the deity’s presence and the tīrtha’s inherent power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha’s sacred sphere (within half a krośa), explicitly compared in merit and protection to Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sacred boundary is defined (ardha-krośa); the implied practice is to enter/abide within that holy radius for purification.