Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तद्गृहस्वामिनं विप्रं हत्वा खड्गेन साहसी । समादाय बहु द्रव्यं किरातीभवनं ययौ

Transliteration

tadgṛhasvāminaṃ vipraṃ hatvā khaḍgena sāhasī | samādāya bahu dravyaṃ kirātībhavanaṃ yayau

Translation

Cet homme téméraire tua de son épée le brāhmaṇa, maître de la maison; puis, emportant de grandes richesses, il gagna la demeure de la Kirātī.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive relation)

• गृहस्वामिनम्: the house-owner
• गृहस्वामिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gṛhasya svāmī)

• विप्रम्: a brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले (having done)

• खड्गेन: with a sword
• खड्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणम् (instrument)

• साहसी: the rash/brutal man
• साहसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहसिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समादाय: having taken/collected
• समादाय: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले

• बहु: much
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/property
• द्रव्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• किरातीभवनम्: to the Kirātī woman’s house
• किरातीभवनम्: Karman (Goal as object/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किराती (प्रातिपदिक) + भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kirātyāḥ bhavanam)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reckless man strikes down a householder brāhmaṇa with a sword, seizes valuables, and flees toward a tribal woman’s dwelling; the scene is tense, shadowed, and morally charged.

Characters & Entities

• vipra
• kirātī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence against a brāhmaṇa and theft are portrayed as grave adharma that immediately sets in motion severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya) context, oriented around the sanctity of Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha) though this specific line narrates a moral downfall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the sin that will require expiation in the broader narrative.