Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

न ब्राह्मणवधाद्बाह्यं कुष्ठव्याधिः प्रजायते । एतत्सत्यं विजानीहि वदतो मम भूपते

Transliteration

na brāhmaṇavadhādbāhyaṃ kuṣṭhavyādhiḥ prajāyate | etatsatyaṃ vijānīhi vadato mama bhūpate

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണവധം ഒഴികെ കുഷ്ഠവ്യാധി മറ്റേതൊരു കാരണത്താലും ജനിക്കില്ല; രാജാവേ, എന്റെ വാക്കിനെ സത്യമെന്നു അറിയുക.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — ‘न’ (not)

• ब्राह्मणवधात्: from brahmin-slaying
• ब्राह्मणवधात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणस्य वधः) ‘ब्राह्मणवधात्’ (from brahmin-slaying)

• बाह्यम्: other than
• बाह्यम्: Karma (Complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘बाह्यम्’ (external/other than)

• कुष्ठव्याधिः: leprosy
• कुष्ठव्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — कर्मधारयः (कुष्ठरूपो व्याधिः) ‘कुष्ठव्याधिः’ (leprosy-disease)

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-जा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘प्रजायते’ (arises/is born)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘एतत्’ (this)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘सत्यम्’ (truth) (apposition to ‘एतत्’)

• विजानीहि: know
• विजानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘विजानीहि’ (know/understand)

• वदतः: of (me) speaking
• वदतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘वदतः’ (of me speaking/of the speaker)

• मम: of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘मम’ (my/of me)

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (भूः पतिः) ‘भूपते’ (O king)

Speaker

Narrative voice addressing a king (listener addressed as bhūpati; exact speaker not explicit here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpate (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate instructor addresses the king: ‘Know this as truth—leprosy arises from brahmahatyā alone,’ underscoring dharma’s certainty.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa-hatyā
• Bhūpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text underscores the extreme gravity of brāhmaṇa-hatyā and warns rulers to uphold dharma and protect the sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Hāṭakeśvara/Jāhnavī tīrtha narrative, framing why purification at the tīrtha is sought.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it provides doctrinal emphasis that motivates subsequent purification through sacred bathing and rites.