Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गच्छत त्वरिताः सर्वे शक्रं द्रष्टुं विचक्षणाः । ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतोऽसौ यत्रास्ते सुरसत्तमः

Transliteration

gacchata tvaritāḥ sarve śakraṃ draṣṭuṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ | brahmahatyābhibhūto'sau yatrāste surasattamaḥ

Translation

Eilt, ihr alle Weisen, um Śakra (Indra) zu schauen. Er, der Beste unter den Göttern, ist vom Makel der brahmahatyā überwältigt und verweilt an jenem Ort.

Word by Word

• गच्छत: go
• गच्छत: क्रिया (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वरिताः: hastened/quick
• त्वरिताः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृत् (क्त)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (infinitive of purpose)

• विचक्षणाः: discerning/wise
• विचक्षणाः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतः: overpowered by the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतः: विशेषण (Qualifier of असौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + अभि + भू (धातु) → अभिभूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्महत्यया अभिभूतः = overpowered by brahmahatyā)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Relative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: where)

• आस्ते: sits/remains
• आस्ते: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सुरसत्तमः: the best of the gods
• सुरसत्तमः: कर्ता (Apposition to असौ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुराणां सत्तमः = best among gods)

Speaker

Śacī (as quoted within Lomaśa’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembled devas (addressed as vicakṣaṇāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śacī urges the devas to hurry; in a secluded spot Indra sits withdrawn, shadowed, head bowed under the weight of brahmahatyā, while the searching host approaches.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty are bound by moral law; grave wrongdoing brings affliction, and reconciliation requires seeking and addressing the cause.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it sets up the episode of Indra’s affliction within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is described here; it implies the need for remedial action/atonement due to brahmahatyā.