Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

कोटयो ब्रह्महत्यानामगम्यागम्यकोटयः । स्वर्णस्तेयसुरापानभ्रूणहत्या दिकोटयः । भवकोटिसहस्रेषु येऽन्ये पातकराशयः

Transliteration

koṭayo brahmahatyānāmagamyāgamyakoṭayaḥ | svarṇasteyasurāpānabhrūṇahatyā dikoṭayaḥ | bhavakoṭisahasreṣu ye'nye pātakarāśayaḥ

Translation

Il existe des crores de fautes telles que la brahma-hatyā (le meurtre d’un brāhmaṇa), des crores et encore des crores d’unions interdites, et, en toutes directions, des crores de crimes comme le vol d’or, l’ivresse par l’alcool et le meurtre d’un embryon—ainsi que d’autres amas de péchés amassés au fil de milliers de crores de naissances.

Word by Word

• कोटयः: crores, tens of millions
• कोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्महत्यानाम्: of brahmin-slayings
• ब्रह्महत्यानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• अगम्यागम्यकोटयः: crores of (sins) unapproachable and approachable (i.e., of various kinds)
• अगम्यागम्यकोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगम्य + आगम्य + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (अगम्य-आगम्य-कोटयः)

• स्वर्णस्तेयसुरापानभ्रूणहत्या: gold-theft, liquor-drinking, and embryo-slaying (as a set of sins)
• स्वर्णस्तेयसुरापानभ्रूणहत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्णस्तेय + सुरापान + भ्रूणहत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective dvandva)

• दिकोटयः: crores in every direction (countless crores)
• दिकोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दि + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; उपपद/तत्पुरुष (दिशः कोटयः = in all directions, innumerable)

• भवकोटिसहस्रेषु: in thousands of crores of births
• भवकोटिसहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + कोटि + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (भवानां कोटीनां सहस्रेषु)

• ये: which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पातकराशयः: heaps/masses of sins
• पातकराशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पातकानां राशयः)

Speaker

Śrī Guru (continuing instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark didactic tableau: the guru enumerates grave sins; behind him appear symbolic shadows—broken sacred thread (brahmahatyā), overturned wine vessel (surāpāna), stolen gold (suvarṇa-steya), a dark womb motif (bhrūṇahatya), and chaotic silhouettes suggesting forbidden unions—contrasted with a faint, hopeful glow of purification rites in the distance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave and innumerable sins can cling across lifetimes, highlighting the need for powerful purification rooted in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse prepares for the teaching on mantra-based purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not in this verse; it enumerates sins that will be said to be destroyed by the Śaiva practice that follows.