Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

हत्वाऽददाच्च विप्रेभ्यो महीमतिमहौजसा । घातितो हैहयो राजा येनैव जननी हता

Transliteration

hatvā'dadācca viprebhyo mahīmatimahaujasā | ghātito haihayo rājā yenaiva jananī hatā

Translation

Après les avoir tués, le Très-Puissant donna la terre aux brāhmaṇa ; et par ce même Être fut mis à mort le roi Haihaya, lui qui avait tué la mère du héros.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• अददात्: gave
• अददात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• महीम्: the earth/land
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• अतिमहौजसा: by one of exceedingly great prowess
• अतिमहौजसा: Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + महौजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृविशेषण), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (अतिमहत् ओजः यस्य)

• घातितः: was slain (made to be killed)
• घातितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिजन्त, हन्-धातोः causative)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was caused to be slain)

• हैहयः: the Haihaya
• हैहयः: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हैहय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karta/Karaṇa (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Prayojaka-nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हता: was killed
• हता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was killed)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma, fierce from grief, defeats the Haihaya king (Kārtavīrya Arjuna) who caused his mother’s death; afterward, he performs the grand act of gifting the earth to brāhmaṇas—transition from wrath to renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Vipra)
• Haihaya king (Kārtavīrya/Arjuna tradition implied)
• Paraśurāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes both the punishment of grave injustice and the restoration of sacred order through generosity and support of spiritual custodians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna motif is present—bestowing land/earth to brāhmaṇas—though no step-by-step ritual is described.