Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

येन वै क्रियमाणेन तीर्थेऽस्मिन्द्विजसत्तम । ब्रह्महत्यादिपापेभ्यो मुच्यते तद्ब्रवीहि मे

Transliteration

yena vai kriyamāṇena tīrthe'smindvijasattama | brahmahatyādipāpebhyo mucyate tadbravīhi me

Translation

Ô le meilleur des brahmanes, dis-moi quel acte, accompli en ce tīrtha sacré, délivre des péchés commençant par le brahma-hatyā (le meurtre d’un brāhmaṇa) et des autres du même ordre.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘by which’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis/indeed

• क्रियमाणेन: by (it) being performed
• क्रियमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्रियमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे; ‘being done/performed’ (agreeing with implied कर्म/यज्ञादि)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘in this’ (qualifies तीर्थे)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-पापेभ्यः: from sins such as brahma-hatya
• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-पापेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्महत्या-आदीनि पापानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाप), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), बहुवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that (means/rite)’

• ब्रवीहि: tell
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic

Speaker

Unspecified interlocutor (listener asking a Brahmin sage, likely Vasiṣṭha, within Dharmāraṇya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker at a forest tīrtha respectfully questions a venerable ṛṣi about the act that destroys brahmahatyā and other sins; the setting shows a river/ford, sacrificial ground, and ascetics’ huts beneath sacred trees.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Tīrtha
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a tīrtha with sincere inquiry and right practice is presented as a means of purification even from the gravest sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sacred tīrtha (Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for the specific act/rite to be performed at the tīrtha; the prescription is given in the following verses.