Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अक्षयं चायुरस्माभिरस्य दत्तं हलायुध । भवताऽजानतैवाद्य कृतो ब्रह्मवधो महान्

Transliteration

akṣayaṃ cāyurasmābhirasya dattaṃ halāyudha | bhavatā'jānataivādya kṛto brahmavadho mahān

Translation

“Wahai Halāyudha, kami juga telah mengurniakan kepadanya usia yang tidak binasa. Hari ini, tanpa disedari, olehmu telah terjadi brahmavadha yang besar—dosa membunuh brahmana.”

Word by Word

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karma (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘imperishable’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-बहुवचन-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देश (by us)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of him/this’

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• हल-आयुध: O plough-weaponed one
• हल-आयुध: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘हलम् आयुधं यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीहिरपि सम्भवः, परन्तु प्रचलित-नामरूपेण तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश; अत्र सम्बोधन

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भवत्-शब्द (honorific pronoun), तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देश (by you)

• अजानता: unknowingly
• अजानता: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause nuance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + जानत् (√ज्ञा धातु से शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle) ‘जानत्’ का तृतीया-एकवचन (पुंलिङ्ग) रूप; नञ्-पूर्वक; ‘not knowing’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (today/now)

• कृतः: committed
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been done/committed’

• ब्रह्म-वधः: killing of a brāhmaṇa (brahma-slaying)
• ब्रह्म-वधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मणः वधः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Munis (brahmavādins)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Halāyudha (Saṅkarṣaṇa/Balarāma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages declare that they had granted the sūta imperishable longevity, and that Halāyudha has unknowingly committed great brahma-vadha; the scene is heavy with moral gravity and impending expiation.

Characters & Entities

• Halāyudha (Balarāma)
• sūta
• brahmavadha/brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance may lessen intent but does not erase the need to restore dharmic balance; grave acts require rectification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape is the narrative frame; this verse specifically introduces the sin-category that will lead to atonement practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it identifies the transgression as brahmavadha, implying the necessity of prāyaścitta.