Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 106
इन्द्र उवाच । मया विनिहताः पूर्वं बहवः किल दानवाः । ब्रह्महत्या न संजाता मम हत्याधुना कथम्
indra uvāca | mayā vinihatāḥ pūrvaṃ bahavaḥ kila dānavāḥ | brahmahatyā na saṃjātā mama hatyādhunā katham
Indra dit : «Autrefois, j’ai abattu bien des asuras. Alors, le péché de brahmahatyā ne s’est pas levé ; comment se fait-il qu’il surgisse maintenant de mon meurtre ?»
Indra
Listener: Brahmā (and the devas)
Scene: Indra protests in confusion: he has slain many demons before without brahmahatyā; he gestures toward the vajra, seeking an explanation for the new stain.
FAQs
Moral accountability depends not only on the act but also on context—who is harmed and by what means.
No tīrtha is named; the inquiry sets the stage for the tīrtha-based expiation taught later.
None; the verse is a doctrinal question about the origin of sin.