Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यायुतो वापि पूतो गच्छेत्परां गतिम् । माघमासे प्रयागे तु मज्जनं कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

brahmahatyāyuto vāpi pūto gacchetparāṃ gatim | māghamāse prayāge tu majjanaṃ kurute naraḥ

Translation

Selbst wer vom Makel der Sünde der brahmahatyā befleckt ist, wird gereinigt und gelangt zum höchsten Ziel, wenn er im Monat Māgha in Prayāga das heilige Untertauchen vollzieht.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्यायुतः: tainted with brahmahatyā (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्यायुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्महत्याभिः युतः = endowed with Brahmin-slaughter sins)

• वा: even / or
• वा: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (or/even)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• पूतः: purified
• पूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from पू ‘to purify’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (purified)

• गच्छेत्: would go / may attain
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (माघस्य मासः)

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• मज्जनम्: bathing/immersion
• मज्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; from मज्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does / performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Triveṇī-saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in Māgha, mist rises over the Triveṇī; pilgrims immerse while priests chant; a dark stain-like aura (symbolizing brahmahatyā) dissolves into the water, and a radiant path upward suggests parā gati.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Māgha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prayāga is exalted as a supreme purifier, and Māgha-snānā is framed as a decisive act of karmic cleansing leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, famed for its sacred confluence tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māgha-māsa majjana—ritual immersion bath at Prayāga during Māgha.