Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

परं तस्य वधाज्जाता ब्रह्महत्या सुगर्हिता । तव शक्र न तेनाद्य स्पृशामोऽस्पृश्यतां गतम्

Transliteration

paraṃ tasya vadhājjātā brahmahatyā sugarhitā | tava śakra na tenādya spṛśāmo'spṛśyatāṃ gatam

Translation

"ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਮਾਰੇ ਜਾਣ ਕਾਰਨ ਤੈਨੂੰ 'ਬ੍ਰਹਮਹੱਤਿਆ' ਦਾ ਘੋਰ ਪਾਪ ਲੱਗ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਹੇ ਇੰਦਰ। ਇਸ ਕਰਕੇ, ਅੱਜ ਅਸੀਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਛੂਹ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕਦੇ—ਤੂੰ ਰਸਮੀ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਅਛੂਤ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈਂ।"

Word by Word

• परम्: however
• परम्: Vakyopanyasa (Discourse marker/वाक्योपन्यास)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: ‘however/but’)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वधात्: from the killing
• वधात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जाता: arisen
• जाता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (ब्रह्महत्या विशेषयति)

• ब्रह्म-हत्या: the sin of Brahmin-slaying (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्म-हत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या/ब्रह्महत्यादोषः)

• सुगर्हिता: highly blameworthy
• सुगर्हिता: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘greatly censured’ (ब्रह्महत्या विशेषयति)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्र: O Śakra
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• तेन: because of that/with that
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (time adverb)

• स्पृशामः: we touch
• स्पृशामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अस्पृश्यताम्: untouchability
• अस्पृश्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्पृश्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘untouchability/state of being untouchable’

• गतम्: attained
• गतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘gone/attained’ (अस्पृश्यताम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śakra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā solemnly declares that Indra has incurred brahmahatyā from the killing; the devas recoil, refusing contact, marking Indra as ritually untouchable despite his sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings are bound by moral law; grave wrongdoing produces impurity that requires prescribed purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it introduces the need for purification that will be fulfilled through tīrthayātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: avoidance due to impurity (aspṛśyatā); explicit remedial rites are stated later as tīrthayātrā.