Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यासमं पापं भविता नेह किंचन । कथं वा धौतपापे तु प्रविष्टं नश्यते द्विज । एतद्विस्तरतः सर्वं पृच्छामि वद कौतुकात्

Transliteration

brahmahatyāsamaṃ pāpaṃ bhavitā neha kiṃcana | kathaṃ vā dhautapāpe tu praviṣṭaṃ naśyate dvija | etadvistarataḥ sarvaṃ pṛcchāmi vada kautukāt

Translation

ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣହତ୍ୟା ସମାନ ପାପ ଆଉ କିଛି ନାହିଁ। ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜ! ତାହା ‘ଧୌତପାପ’ରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କଲେ କିପରି ନଶିଯାଏ? ଏ ସବୁକୁ ମୁଁ କୌତୁହଳରେ ବିସ୍ତାରରେ ପଚାରୁଛି—କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: equal to brahmahatyā
• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्महत्यया समम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• भविता: will be
• भविता: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple future, 3rd sg

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

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘here/in this world’

• किंचन: anything (at all)
• किंचन: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc singular (indefinite pronoun)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक) — interrogative adverb ‘how’

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/समुच्चय) — particle ‘or/indeed’

• धौतपापे: in the sin-washing (tīrtha)
• धौतपापे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धौत + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular; कर्मधारय (धौतं पापं यस्मिन्)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘but/indeed’

• प्रविष्टम्: having entered/entered
• प्रविष्टम्: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past participle; Neuter Nom/Acc singular

• नश्यते: perishes/is destroyed
• नश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) — adverb ‘in detail/at length’

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 1st sg

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd sg

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative singular

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhauta-pāpa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija (brāhmaṇa teacher)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn teaching moment: Yudhiṣṭhira gestures toward the ford, asking for the hidden reason; the sage prepares to narrate the tīrtha’s origin, with a faint vision of brahmahatyā as a dark specter dissolving in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhauta-pāpa Tīrtha
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a teaching praises extraordinary grace, Purāṇic dharma invites reasoned questioning and narrative grounding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhauta-pāpa tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up the explanation for the tīrtha’s prāyaścitta-like power.