Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

इयं विशुद्धिरज्ञानाद्धत्वा चाकामतो द्विजम् । कामतो ब्राह्मणवधे निष्कृतिर्न विधीयते

Transliteration

iyaṃ viśuddhirajñānāddhatvā cākāmato dvijam | kāmato brāhmaṇavadhe niṣkṛtirna vidhīyate

Translation

Diese Reinigung gilt, wenn aus Unwissenheit ein Dvija (Zweimalgeborener) unabsichtlich getötet wird. Doch für die vorsätzliche Tötung eines Brāhmaṇa ist keinerlei niskṛti (Sühne) vorgeschrieben.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she/this [purification])
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विशुद्धिः: purification, absolution
• विशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance, due to ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action): “having killed”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अकामतः: unintentionally
• अकामतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: akāmataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): “unintentionally/without desire”

• द्विजम्: a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कामतः: intentionally
• कामतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāmataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): “intentionally/with desire”

• ब्राह्मणवधे: in the killing of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणवधे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ब्राह्मणस्य वधः

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विधीयते: is prescribed, is enjoined
• विधीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vidhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ethical-expiatory teaching context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn council scene: elders explain the difference between accidental and deliberate killing; the penitent is grief-stricken; a dharma-scale motif or manuscript underscores ‘intent’ as decisive.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intention matters in dharma: accidental wrongdoing may be purified, while deliberate grievous harm is treated as beyond ordinary expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya setting, linking moral discipline to pilgrimage sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It distinguishes cases where prāyaścitta/niṣkṛti is applicable (unintentional) versus not prescribed (intentional brāhmaṇa-killing).