Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच । दधीचस्य वधाद्ब्रह्मन्नहं भीतो न संशयः । तस्माद्ब्रह्मवधात्सत्यं महदेनो भविष्यति

Transliteration

indra uvāca | dadhīcasya vadhādbrahmannahaṃ bhīto na saṃśayaḥ | tasmādbrahmavadhātsatyaṃ mahadeno bhaviṣyati

Translation

Indra berkata: “Wahai Brahman, karena pembunuhan Dadhīca aku takut—tanpa keraguan. Maka dari pembunuhan seorang brāhmaṇa, sungguh dosa besar akan timbul.”

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Perfect, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

• दधीचस्य: of Dadhīca
• दधीचस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhīca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वधात्: from (the act of) killing
• वधात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन = Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmā / O Brahman
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन = Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Pronoun, 1st person, Nominative, Singular

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhī (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन = past participle used adjectivally ‘afraid’ (agreeing with अहम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = negation ‘not’

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular (elliptic: ‘there is no doubt’)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Causal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (पञ्चमी-एकवचन रूपेण) = ablatival adverb ‘therefore/from that’

• ब्रह्मवधात्: from Brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्मवधात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन = Masculine, Ablative, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः वधः = killing of a Brahmin)

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (नपुंसक द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन) = adverbial accusative ‘truly’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular (qualifying एनः)

• एनः: sin, guilt
• एनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यति: will be/become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Simple Future, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra speaks candidly to Brahmā, hands folded, face marked by fear; Brahmā listens with composed gravity, embodying the path from confession to remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā
• Dadhīca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for brāhmaṇas and tapas is central; harming the holy generates heavy karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly; the Kedāra narrative frame supports teachings on pāpa and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated here; it expresses fear of sin, implying the need for prāyaścitta (expiation) later.