Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या नोपसर्पेत्सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम् । मासोपवासी तत्क्षेत्रे अग्निहोत्री यतव्रतः

Transliteration

brahmahatyā nopasarpetsatyametanmayoditam | māsopavāsī tatkṣetre agnihotrī yatavrataḥ

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യയുടെ പാപം അവിടെ സമീപിക്കുകയില്ല—ഇത് ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്ന സത്യം; ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ മാസോപവാസി, അഗ്നിഹോത്രി, നിയന്ത്രിതവ്രതധാരി—

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahmin-slaying sin (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• उपसर्पेत्: would approach/afflict
• उपसर्पेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + सृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karta (Predicative nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता/वाक्यविधेय), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Predicative nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उदितम्: spoken
• उदितम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + वद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘said/uttered’

• मासोपवासी: one who fasts for a month
• मासोपवासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मास + उपवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मासं उपवासः यस्य/मास-उपवासी)

• तत्क्षेत्रे: in that sacred region
• तत्क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य क्षेत्रे)

• अग्निहोत्री: an agnihotra-performer
• अग्निहोत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अग्निहोत्रं करोति’ (one who maintains/performs agnihotra)

• यतव्रतः: one of restrained vows
• यतव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (यतं व्रतं यस्य/यत-व्रतः)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from Mahādevī-addressed dialogue in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa/Viṣṇu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor receiving Prabhāsa-kṣetra instructions

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim-householder tends a small sacred fire (agnihotra) near the kṣetra, observing a month-fast; a protective aura around the precinct symbolizes brahma-hatyā being unable to approach.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā
• Agnihotra
• Vrata
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A supremely holy kṣetra supports purification and protection from grave sin when paired with disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred kṣetra within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (contextually the Viṣṇu-kṣetra/Prabhāsa region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māsopavāsa (month-long fast), agnihotra, and observance of restrained vows (vrata-niyama).