Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठो बृहद्द्युम्नमुवाच ह । अयं ते ब्रह्महा सत्रमर्वावसुरुपागतः

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhrātaraṃ jyeṣṭho bṛhaddyumnamuvāca ha | ayaṃ te brahmahā satramarvāvasurupāgataḥ

Translation

Voyant son frère, l’aîné dit au roi Bṛhaddyumna : «Voici Arvāvasu, souillé par la brahmahatyā ; il est venu à ton sacrifice satra.»

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• भ्रातरम्: (his) brother
• भ्रातरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठः: the elder (brother)
• ज्येष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बृहद्द्युम्नम्: Bṛhaddyumna (proper name)
• बृहद्द्युम्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (बृहद् द्युम्नं यस्य) नाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed/just
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; कथन-प्रत्यय/एवकारार्थ)

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• ब्रह्महा: brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सत्रम्: the satra (sacrificial session)
• सत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अर्वावसुः: Arvāvasu (proper name)
• अर्वावसुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नाम)

• उपागतः: has come/arrived
• उपागतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Jyeṣṭha (the elder brother)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bṛhaddyumna (directly addressed by the elder brother)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The elder brother points toward Arvāvasu before King Bṛhaddyumna, publicly naming him a brahmahā; priests and attendants react with alarm; the accused stands composed but wounded.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaddyumna
• Arvāvasu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites demand vigilance regarding purity; leaders must protect yajña from actions that diminish its fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa context relates to Setu’s sanctity; this verse itself is court-and-yajña focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied rule: a brahmahā (unpurified) should not enter or remain in a satra-yajña assembly.