Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

यया याति द्रुतं पापं ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम् । स्पृश्यो भवामि सर्वेषां देवानां प्रपितामह

Transliteration

yayā yāti drutaṃ pāpaṃ brahmahatyāsamudbhavam | spṛśyo bhavāmi sarveṣāṃ devānāṃ prapitāmaha

Translation

“By what means does the sin born of brahmahatyā quickly depart, so that I may again become fit to be touched by all the gods, O Prāpitāmaha?”

Word by Word

• यया: by which (means)
• यया: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधनार्थे

• याति: goes/vanishes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; याति इति क्रियायाः कर्तृ/कर्मभावेन

• ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम्: arising from Brahma-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+उद्+भू)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्महत्यायाः समुद्भवम्) पापम् इति विशेष्य

• स्पृश्यः: touchable/acceptable
• स्पृश्यः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पृश्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (fit to be touched/approachable), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवामि: I become
• भवामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; देवानाम् इति विशेष्य

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रपितामह: O great-grandfather (Brahmā)
• प्रपितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Indra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Prāpitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra pleads urgently before Brahmā: his aura is dim, and other devas stand at a distance, hands raised in restraint, indicating he is not ‘fit to be touched’.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā (Prāpitāmaha)
• Brahmahatyā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not merely internal remorse; it must align with dharmic means that restore harmony with the divine community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the focus is on the general purifying power of tīrthas that will be prescribed next.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied aim: removal of brahmahatyā-pāpa and regaining ritual acceptability; the explicit rite (tīrthayātrā) follows.