Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मनसापि वधं यस्तु ब्राह्मणस्य विचिंतयेत् । तप्तकृच्छ्रेण मुच्येत मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

manasāpi vadhaṃ yastu brāhmaṇasya viciṃtayet | taptakṛcchreṇa mucyeta manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt

Translation

മനസ്സിൽ പോലും ബ്രാഹ്മണവധത്തെ ചിന്തിക്കുന്നവൻ—സ്വയംഭുവ മനു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചതുപോലെ—‘തപ്തകൃച്ഛ്ര’ എന്ന കഠിനപ്രായശ്ചിത്തം കൊണ്ടുമാത്രമേ ആ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകൂ।

Word by Word

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with the mind)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘even/also’

• वधम्: killing
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of a Brahmin)

• विचिन्तयेत्: should contemplate
• विचिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should think/plan

• तप्तकृच्छ्रेण: by the taptakṛcchra penance
• तप्तकृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्तकृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक; तप्त + कृच्छ्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by the ‘heated’ penance called taptakṛcchra)

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; would be released

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (proper noun)

• स्वायंभुवः: Svāyambhuva
• स्वायंभुवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्वयम् + भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; epithet agreeing with मनुः

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; said/spoke

Speaker

Nadī (the river) citing Manu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-teaching tableau: a sage-authority (Manu) pronounces expiation; a penitent sits with folded hands, mind restrained, with austere fire/heat imagery suggesting taptakṛcchra.

Characters & Entities

• Manu Svāyambhuva
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma judges intention as well as action; even violent thought incurs fault and demands serious atonement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse; it provides dharma-śāstra style guidance within a māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taptakṛcchra prāyaścitta (a severe expiatory observance) is prescribed for even contemplating brāhmaṇa-killing.