Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

छद्मना वा बलाद्वापि ब्रह्महत्यासमं मतम् । अधीत्य यश्च शास्त्राणि परित्यजति मूढधीः

Transliteration

chadmanā vā balādvāpi brahmahatyāsamaṃ matam | adhītya yaśca śāstrāṇi parityajati mūḍhadhīḥ

Translation

ଛଳରେ କିମ୍ବା ବଳପୂର୍ବକ ଯେ କର୍ମ କରାଯାଏ, ତାହା ବ୍ରହ୍ମହତ୍ୟାସମାନ ବୋଲି ମନାଯାଏ; ଏବଂ ଯେ ମୂଢବୁଦ୍ଧି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ର ପଢ଼ି ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ କରେ, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିନ୍ଦ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• छद्मना: by deceit
• छद्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-भाव

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे/हेतु (by force)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: equal to brahma-hatyā
• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्महत्यायाः समम्)

• मतम्: is considered
• मतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भावे—‘मतम्’ = ‘held/considered’

• अधीत्य: having studied
• अधीत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि-इ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्यय, gerund)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शास्त्राणि: scriptures/treatises
• शास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• परित्यजति: abandons
• परित्यजति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मूढधीः: one of deluded intellect
• मूढधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (मूढा धीः यस्य सः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two vignettes: (1) a wrongdoer using disguise or coercion against a brāhmaṇa; (2) a scholar tossing aside palm-leaf manuscripts, turning away from a guru—symbolizing śāstra-tyāga—while a dark cloud of moha surrounds him.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is violated not only by overt killing but also by deceitful or coercive wrongdoing; abandoning scripture after learning it is a serious spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given; the instruction is fidelity to śāstra and avoidance of deceit/coercion.