Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण ब्रह्महत्या विनश्यति । स्वर्णस्तेयादयश्चान्ये नश्येयुः पापसंचयाः

Transliteration

yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa brahmahatyā vinaśyati | svarṇasteyādayaścānye naśyeyuḥ pāpasaṃcayāḥ

Translation

Par la seule écoute de ce saint récit, le péché de brahma-hatyā est détruit ; et d’autres amas de fautes—tel le vol d’or—s’évanouissent aussi.

Word by Word

• यस्याः: of which/whose
• यस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• श्रवणमात्रेण: by mere hearing
• श्रवणमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—श्रवणस्य मात्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahmin-slaying sin (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः हत्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विनश्यति: perishes/is destroyed
• विनश्यति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• स्वर्णस्तेयादयः: gold-theft and the like (sins)
• स्वर्णस्तेयादयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्णस्तेय-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स्वर्णस्य स्तेयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + आदि (समाहार/समुच्चयार्थ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying स्वर्णस्तेयादयः)

• नश्येयुः: would perish/should be destroyed
• नश्येयुः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदी

• पापसंचयाः: accumulations of sins
• पापसंचयाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—पापानां संचयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi (via Dharmagupta-kathā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A storyteller-sage recites the Dharmagupta account to an assembly; dark smoke-like forms labeled ‘brahma-hatyā’ and ‘svarṇa-steya’ dissolve into light as the listeners’ hearts brighten—symbolizing sin-destruction by hearing alone.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā
• Svarṇasteya
• Dharmagupta-kathā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout hearing) of a tīrtha-māhātmya is itself a purifying act capable of dissolving even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi/Setu region indirectly, through the phalaśruti of the Dharmagupta narrative within Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—listening to the sacred account—is presented as the efficacious practice.