Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या हि दुष्प्रेक्ष्या विवर्णजननी मम । दुर्गंधचारिणी चैव सर्वतेजोविनाशिनी

Transliteration

brahmahatyā hi duṣprekṣyā vivarṇajananī mama | durgaṃdhacāriṇī caiva sarvatejovināśinī

Translation

“Sesungguhnya brahmahatyā itu ngeri dipandang; ia menimbulkan pucat pada diriku, bergerak dengan bau busuk, dan memusnahkan segala seri serta daya hidup.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahma-hatyā (sin of Brahmin-slaying)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुष्प्रेक्ष्या: hard to look at; dreadful to behold
• दुष्प्रेक्ष्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रेक्ष्य (कृदन्त; √ईक्ष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘प्रेक्ष्य’ (to be looked at) → ‘दुष्प्रेक्ष्य’ = दुरालोक्या

• विवर्णजननी: producer of pallor/discoloration
• विवर्णजननी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘विवर्णस्य जननी’

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

• दुर्गन्धचारिणी: moving about with foul smell; foul-smelling
• दुर्गन्धचारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘दुर्गन्धं चरति’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• सर्वतेजोविनाशिनी: destroyer of all splendor/energy
• सर्वतेजोविनाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘सर्वस्य तेजसः विनाशिनी’

Speaker

Indra (Śakra) (quoted within Īśvara’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A questioning interlocutor (e.g., a sage/king) addressed as 'varānane' appears later; this verse itself is descriptive within the narrative.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A personified Brahmahatyā appears as a dreadful, pallid, foul-smelling shadow-figure clinging to the afflicted deity/person, dimming his radiance (tejas) and vitality.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma has tangible consequences—loss of tejas (spiritual and worldly radiance)—prompting sincere pursuit of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the verse motivates the pilgrimage to Prabhāsa and the Pāpamocana-liṅga where such taint is removed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes the affliction that necessitates prāyaścitta through worship and tīrtha-sevā.