Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नो वा सुरापो वा स्तेयी वा गुरुतल्पगः । कृतघ्नो मुच्यते पापैर्मृतो मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

brahmaghno vā surāpo vā steyī vā gurutalpagaḥ | kṛtaghno mucyate pāpairmṛto muktimavāpnuyāt

Translation

Qu’il soit meurtrier d’un brāhmaṇa, buveur d’alcool, voleur, profanateur du lit du maître, ou même ingrat, un tel homme est délivré des péchés; et, à la mort, il obtient la libération (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• सुरापः: a drinker of liquor
• सुरापः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराप (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + प)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• स्तेयी: a thief
• स्तेयी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘-इन्’ प्रत्ययान्त

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the teacher’s bed (grave offender)
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुतल्पग (प्रातिपदिक; गुरु + तल्प + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• कृतघ्नः: an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृत + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मृतः: having died / dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: may attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent sinner lays down weapons and symbols of wrongdoing at a sacred threshold; a radiant Śiva-linga or Śiva-form emits purifying light that dissolves dark stains labeled as the five great sins; a path opens toward liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā (sin)
• Śiva (implied by śivālaya context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya asserts the extraordinary redemptive power of a Śiva-kṣetra: even grave transgressions can be purified, culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpatha sacred region in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, implicitly connected with reaching Śivālaya and receiving its purificatory grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific expiation rite is detailed here; the verse emphasizes kṣetra-prabhāva (the sanctifying power of the place) as prāyaścitta.