Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नं च सुरापे च चौरे भग्नव ते शठे । निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्भिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः

Transliteration

brahmaghnaṃ ca surāpe ca caure bhagnava te śaṭhe | niṣkṛtirvihitā sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nāsti niṣkṛtiḥ

Translation

„Für den Mörder eines Brāhmaṇa, für den Trinker von Alkohol, für den Dieb, für den, der Gelübde bricht, und für den Betrüger haben die Rechtschaffenen Sühnen festgelegt. Doch für den Undankbaren gibt es keine Sühne.“

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नम्: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्मघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-घ्न (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (object of implied 'for')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुरापे: in/for a wine-drinker
• सुरापे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा-प (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + प)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• चौरे: in/for a thief
• चौरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भग्नव्रते: in/for one who has broken vows
• भग्नव्रते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग्न-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; भग्न + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शठे: in/for a deceitful person
• शठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विहिता: is prescribed
• विहिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with निष्कृतिः)

• सद्भिः: by the good/virtuous
• सद्भिः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कृतघ्ने: in/for an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत-घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the King) — continuing speech

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king enumerates notorious sins—brahmahatyā, surāpāna, theft, vow-breaking, deceit—then points to ingratitude as beyond expiation; listeners appear sobered, heads bowed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ingratitude is portrayed as a uniquely grave moral failing—worse than many named sins—because it violates the very foundation of dharma and social trust.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it functions as a dharma-teaching embedded within the broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse refers generally to niṣkṛti/prāyaścitta (expiations) for various sins, but states none exists for kṛtaghna (ingratitude).