Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इत्येतत्कथितं सर्वमन्यच्च शूद्रजातिषु । यस्य दोषस्तु हत्यायाः समुद्भूतो विधेर्वशात्

Transliteration

ityetatkathitaṃ sarvamanyacca śūdrajātiṣu | yasya doṣastu hatyāyāḥ samudbhūto vidhervaśāt

Translation

So ist alles dargelegt worden, samt weiteren Bestimmungen über die verschiedenen Śūdra-Gemeinschaften. Nun aber, was den betrifft, in dem gemäß der Kraft der vorgeschriebenen Regel die Schuld einer Tötung entstanden ist—

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक-अव्ययम् (quotative/thus)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• कथितम्: has been stated
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (said/told)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• शूद्रजातिषु: among the Śūdra castes
• शूद्रजातिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र-जाति (प्रातिपदिक; शूद्र + जाति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• दोषः: fault
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-बोधक-अव्ययम् (particle)

• हत्यायाः: of killing/murder
• हत्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• समुद्भूतः: has arisen
• समुद्भूतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (arisen)

• विधेः: of rule/ordinance
• विधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• वशात्: due to/under the control of
• वशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-अन्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb: from/through the power of)

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta (narrative voice) continuing a dharma-legal exposition

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn judicial inquiry begins: a petitioner brings a grave charge; the judge raises a hand signaling procedure; witnesses stand aside; manuscripts of vidhi are opened.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• vidhi
• hatyā (killing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moral responsibility is framed through dharma: culpability (doṣa) is to be understood in light of scriptural rule and due process.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is cited in this verse; it functions as a transition into rules about fault and punishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; the verse introduces the topic of hatyā-doṣa (culpability for killing) under vidhi.