Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तेनात्मकर्मणा यांतीं ब्रह्महत्यां स पृष्ठतः । बुबुधे मुनिवर्याणामुपदेशेन भूपतिः

Transliteration

tenātmakarmaṇā yāṃtīṃ brahmahatyāṃ sa pṛṣṭhataḥ | bubudhe munivaryāṇāmupadeśena bhūpatiḥ

Translation

王は、最勝の聖仙たちの教えによって、背後から付き従うブラフマハティヤーが自らの行為の果であると悟った。

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by that’

• आत्मकर्मणा: by his own act
• आत्मकर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by (his) own deed’

• यान्तीम्: following/going
• यान्तीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ब्रह्महत्याम् विशेषयति

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Brahma-slaying (sin/personified)
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पृष्ठतः: from behind
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण ‘from behind’

• बुबुधे: came to know/realized
• बुबुधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिवर्याणाम्: of the foremost sages
• मुनिवर्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of the best sages’

• उपदेशेन: by instruction/advice
• उपदेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• भूपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• भूपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-अभेद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सः इत्यस्य अभेदेन

Speaker

Narrator (context not explicit in excerpt; likely Purāṇic narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of austere sages instructs the remorseful king; behind him, the shadowy Brahmahatyā figure is visible but held at bay by the light of knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• brahmahatyā
• munivarya (foremost sages)
• bhūpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reform begins with recognition: through saintly counsel one understands personal responsibility and turns toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it highlights upadeśa (instruction) as the first step toward prāyaścitta.