Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सुराणां तद्वचः श्रुत्वा धरित्री कंपिताऽवदत् । कथं ग्राह्ये मया ह्यंशो हत्यायास्तद्विमृश्यताम्

Transliteration

surāṇāṃ tadvacaḥ śrutvā dharitrī kaṃpitā'vadat | kathaṃ grāhye mayā hyaṃśo hatyāyāstadvimṛśyatām

Translation

ദേവന്മാരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ധരിത്രി വിറച്ച് പറഞ്ഞു—“ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യയുടെ ഒരു അംശം ഞാൻ എങ്ങനെ സ്വീകരിക്കും? ഇത് നന്നായി ആലോചിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ।”

Word by Word

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (contextual with वचः as demonstrative); सर्वनाम; विशेषण

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (object of श्रुत्वा)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): 'having heard'

• धरित्री: Dharitrī (Earth)
• धरित्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कम्पिता: trembling
• कम्पिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कम्प् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle): 'shaken/trembling'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (धरित्री)

• अवदत्: said
• अवदत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• ग्राह्ये: in (the case of) being accepted
• ग्राह्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/विषयाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/विषये (locative of respect: 'in the matter of being taken')

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अंशः: a portion; share
• अंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हत्यायाः: of Hatyā
• हत्यायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (विमृश्यताम्-क्रियाविशेष्य)

• विमृश्यताम्: let it be deliberated; consider it
• विमृश्यताम्: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगार्थ (let it be considered)

Speaker

Dharitrī (Earth)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharitrī (Earth) trembles and speaks with anxious humility, questioning how she can accept a share of Brahmahatyā and urging proper deliberation.

Characters & Entities

• Dharitrī (Earth)
• Devas
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sustaining forces like Earth uphold purity; taking on impurity requires careful dhārmic reasoning, not impulsive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse calls for deliberation (vimarśa) before accepting a share of a grave impurity.