Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यायुतो वापि पूतो गच्छेत्परां गतिम् । माघमासे प्रयागे तु मज्जनं कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

brahmahatyāyuto vāpi pūto gacchetparāṃ gatim | māghamāse prayāge tu majjanaṃ kurute naraḥ

Translation

ବ୍ରହ୍ମହତ୍ୟା ପାପରେ ଲିପ୍ତ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ, ମାଘମାସରେ ପ୍ରୟାଗରେ ମଜ୍ଜନ ସ୍ନାନ କଲେ ସେ ପବିତ୍ର ହୋଇ ପରମ ଗତି ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्यायुतः: tainted with brahmahatyā (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्यायुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्महत्याभिः युतः = endowed with Brahmin-slaughter sins)

• वा: even / or
• वा: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (or/even)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• पूतः: purified
• पूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from पू ‘to purify’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (purified)

• गच्छेत्: would go / may attain
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (माघस्य मासः)

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• मज्जनम्: bathing/immersion
• मज्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; from मज्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does / performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Triveṇī-saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in Māgha, mist rises over the Triveṇī; pilgrims immerse while priests chant; a dark stain-like aura (symbolizing brahmahatyā) dissolves into the water, and a radiant path upward suggests parā gati.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Māgha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prayāga is exalted as a supreme purifier, and Māgha-snānā is framed as a decisive act of karmic cleansing leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, famed for its sacred confluence tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māgha-māsa majjana—ritual immersion bath at Prayāga during Māgha.