Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

अतीतब्रह्मणामस्थ्नां स्रक्कंठे तव भासते । तदातदा क्वानुगता ब्रह्महत्या तवानघ

Transliteration

atītabrahmaṇāmasthnāṃ srakkaṃṭhe tava bhāsate | tadātadā kvānugatā brahmahatyā tavānagha

Translation

An deinem Hals leuchtet eine Girlande aus den Knochen vergangener Brahmās. In solchen Zeiten, o Makelloser, wohin ist die «Sünde der Brahmā-Tötung» entschwunden—woran könnte sie sich in dir heften?

Word by Word

• अतीतब्रह्मणाम्: of the departed brāhmaṇas
• अतीतब्रह्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः अतीत-ब्रह्मण (कर्मधारय: 'departed brāhmaṇas')

• अस्थ्नाम्: of bones
• अस्थ्नाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• स्रक्: garland
• स्रक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज्/स्रक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• कण्ठे: on (your) neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• भासते: shines
• भासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• तदा: at that time (repeatedly)
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-कालवाचक-अव्यय (repeated: 'again and again/at that time')

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय

• अनुगता: has followed
• अनुगता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'अनुगता' = 'followed/attended'

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahma-slaughter (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ब्रह्म-हत्या (तत्पुरुष: 'killing of a brāhmaṇa')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame); internal speaker addressing Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with a radiant garland of pale bone-beads/ossuary garland symbolizing ‘bones of past Brahmās’; the devotee marvels that brahmahatyā cannot adhere to the sinless Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā (multiple cosmic Brahmās)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is untouched by दोष (defilement); categories of sin apply to bound beings, not to the transcendent Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, though this verse emphasizes theology and cosmic cycles rather than a named place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports faith in Śiva’s purity and supremacy.