Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 155

Rudra’s Removal of Brahmahatyā; Kapālamocana and Avimukta Māhātmya; Origins of Nara and Karṇa

link to Arjuna/Karna query

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्य तनुर्मे कृष्णतां गता । शवगंधश्च मे गात्रे लोहस्याभरणानि मे

Transliteration

brahmahatyābhibhūtasya tanurme kṛṣṇatāṃ gatā | śavagaṃdhaśca me gātre lohasyābharaṇāni me

Translation

Dikuasai oleh dosa pembunuhan brahmana, tubuhku menjadi hitam; bau mayat melekat pada anggota tubuhku, dan perhiasanku telah berubah menjadi besi.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्य: of one overpowered by brahma-hatya (sin of killing a Brahmin)
• ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि (उपसर्ग) + भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूत (क्त) प्रत्ययान्त ‘अभिभूत’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्महत्यया अभिभूतस्य)

• तनुः: body
• तनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive)

• कृष्णताम्: blackness
• कृष्णताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गता: has gone/has become
• गता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle) ‘गत’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘तनुः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शवगन्धः: corpse-smell
• शवगन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शव (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शवस्य गन्धः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• गात्रे: on the body/limb
• गात्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• लोहस्य: of iron
• लोहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• आभरणानि: ornaments
• आभरणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (a repentant narrator describing the effects of brahmahatyā)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: तनुर्मे = तनुः + मे; शवगंधश्च = शवगन्धः + च; लोहस्याभरणानि = लोहस्य + आभरणानि

Characters & Entities

• Brahma (by implication in brahmahatyā)

FAQs

What is being conveyed by the body turning dark and ornaments becoming iron?

The verse uses physical markers (darkened body, foul odor, degraded ornaments) to symbolize the overpowering, manifest consequences of brahmahatyā and the loss of auspiciousness (śubha-lakṣaṇa).

Does this verse teach an ethical lesson beyond ritual impurity?

Yes. It underscores that grave violence—especially against a Brahmin—destroys one’s inner and outer auspiciousness, urging restraint, repentance, and the pursuit of atonement aligned with dharma.

How does this fit the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa’s theological flavor?

Even within creation-oriented narration, the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa frequently embeds dharma and karma instruction; here, it highlights how adharma produces visible suffering and motivates expiatory restoration.