Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघातोद्भवेनैव बालभावेऽपि संस्थिते । येऽत्र कुष्ठसमायुक्ता दृश्यंते मानवा भुवि । तैर्नूनं ब्राह्मणाघातो विहितश्चान्यजन्मनि

Transliteration

brahmaghātodbhavenaiva bālabhāve'pi saṃsthite | ye'tra kuṣṭhasamāyuktā dṛśyaṃte mānavā bhuvi | tairnūnaṃ brāhmaṇāghāto vihitaścānyajanmani

Translation

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਘਾਤ ਦੇ ਫਲ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ—ਭਾਵੇਂ ਬਾਲ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ—ਇੱਥੇ ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੋੜ੍ਹ ਲੱਗਿਆ ਦਿੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ; ਨਿਸ਼ਚੇ ਹੀ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਜਨਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ-ਵਧ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघातोद्भवेन: by (a cause) arising from brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्मघातोद्भवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघात (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मघातात् उद्भवः) ‘ब्रह्मघातोद्भवेन’ (by that which arises from brahmin-slaying)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधारण) — ‘एव’ (indeed/only)

• बालभावे: in childhood
• बालभावे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (बालस्य भावः) ‘बालभावे’ (in childhood)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘अपि’ (even/also)

• संस्थिते: when present
• संस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — ‘संस्थिते’ (when situated/being present)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘ये’ (those who)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘अत्र’ (here)

• कुष्ठसमायुक्ताः: afflicted with leprosy
• कुष्ठसमायुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-आ-युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘समायुक्त’ (afflicted/associated) with ‘कुष्ठ’ (leprosy)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘दृश्यन्ते’ (are seen/appear)

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘मानवाः’ (humans/men)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘भुवि’ (on earth/in the world)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — ‘तैः’ (by them)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक) — ‘नूनम्’ (surely)

• ब्राह्मणाघातः: brahmin-slaying
• ब्राह्मणाघातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणस्य घातः) (killing of a brahmin)

• विहितः: was committed
• विहितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘विहितः’ (done/committed/ordained)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — ‘च’ (and)

• अन्यजन्मनि: in another birth
• अन्यजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (अन्यं जन्म) ‘अन्यजन्मनि’ (in another birth)

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Tīrthamāhātmya (speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied by surrounding verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure explains to a king that childhood leprosy seen among people is the karmic consequence of brahmahatyā in a former birth.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (as a class)
• Brahmahatyā (sin of brahma-slaughter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions (karma), especially grave sins like brāhmaṇa-hatyā, ripen into suffering; dharma and atonement are therefore essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding Adhyāya context points to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and the purifying Jāhnavī waters mentioned shortly after.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the karmic diagnosis that later verses address through tīrtha-snānā and related rites.