Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अर्थशास्त्रपरेणैव विधिना तमबोधयत् । आततायिनमायांतं ब्राह्मणं वा तपस्विनम् । हंतुकामं जिघांसीयान्न तेन ब्रह्महा भवेत्

Transliteration

arthaśāstrapareṇaiva vidhinā tamabodhayat | ātatāyinamāyāṃtaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ vā tapasvinam | haṃtukāmaṃ jighāṃsīyānna tena brahmahā bhavet

Translation

അർത്ഥശാസ്ത്രാധിഷ്ഠിതമായ നിയമപ്രകാരം അദ്ദേഹം ഉപദേശിച്ചു—ആതതായിയായി ഒരാൾ വരിക, അവൻ ബ്രാഹ്മണനായാലും തപസ്വിയായാലും, കൊല്ലുവാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ചാൽ അവനെ വധിക്കണം; അതുകൊണ്ട് ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാദോഷം വരികയില്ല।

Word by Word

• अर्थशास्त्रपरेण: by one devoted to arthaśāstra
• अर्थशास्त्रपरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arthaśāstra + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (अर्थशास्त्रे परः = devoted to arthaśāstra)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle ‘indeed’

• विधिना: by the rule/method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अबोधयत्: instructed, made understand
• अबोधयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः = ‘caused to understand/instructed’

• आततायिनम्: an aggressor/assailant
• आततायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātatāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: approaching
• आयान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले), पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन = present active participle ‘coming/approaching’ (qualifying आततायिनम्)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) = disjunctive particle ‘or’

• तपस्विनम्: an ascetic
• तपस्विनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हन्तुकामम्: desiring to kill
• हन्तुकामम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hantu (तुमुन् of han/घ्ना धातु) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (हन्तुं कामः यस्य = desiring to kill)

• जिघांसियात्: should try to kill
• जिघांसियात्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han/ghn̥ā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (संभावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद; desiderative stem (जिघांस-) = ‘should wish/seek to kill’

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

• तेन: by that (act), thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Pronoun, Instrumental, Singular (‘by that/thereby’)

• ब्रह्महा: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हन्ता = slayer of a Brahmin)

• भवेत्: would become/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs Indra with a calm, authoritative gesture; the concept of the ‘aggressor’ is symbolized by a shadowy figure approaching with weapon, while Indra stands poised yet restrained.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Ātatāyin (aggressor)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Tapasvin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma recognizes protection of life: stopping a murderous aggressor is not counted as brahmahatyā when done as necessary defense.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha is named; the Kedāra context provides the broader sacred setting for dharma-teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A legal-dharma injunction is given (ātatāyin doctrine); no snāna/dāna/japa is specified in this verse.