Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

श्रूयते स महीपालो ब्राह्मणानां हिते रतः । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ब्रह्मघ्नः सोऽभवत्कथम्

Transliteration

śrūyate sa mahīpālo brāhmaṇānāṃ hite rataḥ | karmaṇā manasā vācā brahmaghnaḥ so'bhavatkatham

Translation

Nous avons entendu que ce roi se vouait au bien des brāhmanes. Comment donc est-il devenu « meurtrier d’un brāhmane »—par l’acte, par la pensée ou par la parole ?

Word by Word

• श्रूयते: is heard/is said
• श्रूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is heard')

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीपालः: the king
• महीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक: मही + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हिते: in (their) welfare
• हिते: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अर्थे/विषये (in the matter of)

• रतः: devoted
• रतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted/engaged)

• कर्मणा: by action
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकार (by deed)

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकार (by mind)

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकार (by speech)

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्मन् + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (ब्रह्महन्ता)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhrūṇa-gartā

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages emphasize ‘deed, mind, speech’ with counting gestures, pressing Sūta to clarify the precise mode of the king’s transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Saudāsa
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is threefold—action, intention, and speech; dharma requires integrity across all three.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the tīrtha to be described is the remedy for the grave fault under discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse frames an ethical inquiry into the roots of wrongdoing.