Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तथा भवत्वहं ज्येष्ठ चरिष्ये व्रतमुत्तमम् । ब्रह्महत्याविशुद्ध्यर्थं त्वं सत्रधुरमावह

Transliteration

tathā bhavatvahaṃ jyeṣṭha cariṣye vratamuttamam | brahmahatyāviśuddhyarthaṃ tvaṃ satradhuramāvaha

Translation

അങ്ങനെ തന്നെയാകട്ടെ, ജ്യേഷ്ഠാ. ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാശുദ്ധിക്കായി ഞാൻ ഉത്തമ വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കും; നീ സത്രയാഗത്തിന്റെ ഭാരം വഹിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): 'so/thus'

• भवतु: let it be
• भवतु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्येष्ठ: O elder (brother)
• ज्येष्ठ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• चरिष्ये: I shall practice/perform
• चरिष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'व्रतम्')

• ब्रह्महत्याविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of purification from brahmahatyā
• ब्रह्महत्याविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्महत्यायाः विशुद्धेः अर्थम्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सत्रधुरम्: the burden/yoke of the sattra
• सत्रधुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धुर्/धुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सत्रस्य धुरम्)

• आवह: carry, bear
• आवह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Younger brother Arvāvasu (to the elder)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The younger bows and agrees: he will undertake the excellent vow for brahmahatyā-purification while the elder carries the satra burden; the scene ends with mutual resolve—one turning toward austerity, the other toward the sacrificial ground.

Characters & Entities

• Arvāvasu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma balances atonement and duty: expiation through vrata proceeds alongside the uninterrupted performance of yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; within Setukhaṇḍa, such vows and purifications are thematically aligned with the merit of Setu tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking an “uttama vrata” as prāyaścitta for brahmahatyā, and continuing the satra obligations.