Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मनसापि वधं यस्तु ब्राह्मणस्य विचिंतयेत् । तप्तकृच्छ्रेण मुच्येत मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

manasāpi vadhaṃ yastu brāhmaṇasya viciṃtayet | taptakṛcchreṇa mucyeta manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt

Translation

„Selbst wer nur im Geist daran denkt, einen Brāhmaṇa zu töten—so hat Manu Svāyambhuva verkündet—kann von dieser Sünde nur durch die strenge Buße namens taptakṛcchra befreit werden.“

Word by Word

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with the mind)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘even/also’

• वधम्: killing
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of a Brahmin)

• विचिन्तयेत्: should contemplate
• विचिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should think/plan

• तप्तकृच्छ्रेण: by the taptakṛcchra penance
• तप्तकृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्तकृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक; तप्त + कृच्छ्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by the ‘heated’ penance called taptakṛcchra)

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; would be released

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (proper noun)

• स्वायंभुवः: Svāyambhuva
• स्वायंभुवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्वयम् + भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; epithet agreeing with मनुः

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; said/spoke

Speaker

Nadī (the river) citing Manu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-teaching tableau: a sage-authority (Manu) pronounces expiation; a penitent sits with folded hands, mind restrained, with austere fire/heat imagery suggesting taptakṛcchra.

Characters & Entities

• Manu Svāyambhuva
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma judges intention as well as action; even violent thought incurs fault and demands serious atonement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse; it provides dharma-śāstra style guidance within a māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taptakṛcchra prāyaścitta (a severe expiatory observance) is prescribed for even contemplating brāhmaṇa-killing.