Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

यदनेन हतो वृत्रो ब्रह्मभूतश्छलेन सः । तस्मात्त्याज्यः सुदूरेण नो चेत्पापमवाप्स्यथ

Transliteration

yadanena hato vṛtro brahmabhūtaśchalena saḥ | tasmāttyājyaḥ sudūreṇa no cetpāpamavāpsyatha

Translation

കാരണം ഇദ്ദേഹം വഞ്ചനയാൽ ബ്രഹ്മസമനായ (ബ്രാഹ്മണസമമായി പൂജ്യനായ) വൃത്രനെ വധിച്ചു; അതിനാൽ ഇദ്ദേഹത്തെ വളരെ ദൂരത്തിൽ നിന്നുതന്നെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നിങ്ങളും പാപം പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (fact)
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अनेन: by this (one)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधन/करण-निर्देश (instrumental)

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra
• वृत्रः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मभूतः: having become like a brahmin / in brahmin-form
• ब्रह्मभूतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः/ब्रह्मवत् भूतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• छलेन: by deceit
• छलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण-निर्देश

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अन्वय-सूचक (demonstrative)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात् = therefore/from that reason), हेत्वर्थ-निपात

• त्याज्यः: to be avoided
• त्याज्यः: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (gerundive/यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be abandoned)

• सुदूरेण: from very far away
• सुदूरेण: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental)

• नः: for us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6) बहुवचन/सम्बन्धे; ‘our/for us’ अर्थे (enclitic)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अवाप्स्यथ: you (pl.) will obtain
• अवाप्स्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā’s hand raised in admonition; the devas subtly step back from Indra, creating physical distance. Indra’s posture shifts from pride to unease, emphasizing the moral reversal.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Indra
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma condemns deceitful violence against the sacral (brahma-bhūta); moral contamination is shown as socially transmissible through association.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified here; the verse functions as a warning that leads into tīrtha-based remedies later in the passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A social-ritual precaution: avoid close association with one afflicted by brahmahatyā to prevent sharing in the sin.