Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्ने ये स्मृता लोका ये च स्त्रीबालघातके । तुलाधारस्य ते लोकास्तुलां धारयतो मृषा

Transliteration

brahmaghne ye smṛtā lokā ye ca strībālaghātake | tulādhārasya te lokāstulāṃ dhārayato mṛṣā

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മഹന്താവിന് സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന ലോകങ്ങളും, സ്ത്രീയും ബാലനും വധിക്കുന്നവന് ഉള്ള ലോകങ്ങളും—അവ തന്നെയാണ് തുലയെ മൃഷാ (വഞ്ചനയായി) ധരിക്കുന്ന തുലാധാരന് ലഭിക്കുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्ने: in the case of a brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्मघ्ने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—ब्रह्मणः घ्नः (slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• स्मृताः: are declared/remembered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (said/remembered as)

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ये: which (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपातः

• स्त्रीबालघातके: in the case of a killer of women and children
• स्त्रीबालघातके: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (स्त्री + बाल)-द्वन्द्व + घातकः (killer) = तत्पुरुषार्थक समाससमूहः; स्त्रीबालयोः घातके (killer of women and children)

• तुलाधारस्य: of the scale-holder
• तुलाधारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक) + धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—तुलायाः धारस्य

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; निर्देशार्थक सर्वनाम

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तुलाम्: the balance/scale
• तुलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• धारयतः: of (him) holding
• धारयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: धारय-]
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान-प्रत्ययार्थक), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; णिच्-धातोः (धारयत्) → धारयतः (of one who holds)

• मृषा: falsely
• मृषा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मृषा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (falsely)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: the balance-holder secretly tilts the scale; behind him loom shadowy visions of naraka; a righteous judge and deity-symbol (trident/linga) witness the act.

Characters & Entities

• tulādhāra
• brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To corrupt justice is a grave adharma; deceit in sacred procedures brings severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches ethical accountability in dharma-based adjudication.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition by implication: the balance-holder must not manipulate the weighing; false weighing is treated as a major sin.