Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नश्च कृतघ्नश्च बालघ्नोऽनृतभाषणः । स्त्रीगोघ्नश्चैव ग्रामघ्रो धर्मारण्ये विमुच्यते

Transliteration

brahmaghnaśca kṛtaghnaśca bālaghno'nṛtabhāṣaṇaḥ | strīgoghnaścaiva grāmaghro dharmāraṇye vimucyate

Translation

ผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ ผู้เนรคุณ ผู้ฆ่าเด็ก ผู้กล่าวเท็จ; ผู้ฆ่าสตรีหรือโค และแม้ผู้ทำลายหมู่บ้าน—ย่อมพ้นบาปได้ในธรรมารัณยะ

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) से घ्न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः घ्नः)

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

• कृतघ्नः: an ungrateful person (one who destroys good done)
• कृतघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) से घ्न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (कृतं घ्नः/कृतस्य घ्नः)

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

• बालघ्नः: a child-killer
• बालघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) से घ्न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बालस्य घ्नः)

• अनृतभाषणः: a speaker of falsehood
• अनृतभाषणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत + भाषण (प्रातिपदिक; √भाष् (धातु) से भाषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अनृतं भाषणं यस्य/अनृत-भाषणः)

• स्त्रीगोघ्नः: a killer of women and cows
• स्त्रीगोघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + गो + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) से घ्न-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपदसमाहारः (स्त्री च गौः च—तयोः घ्नः)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ग्रामघ्रः: one who harms/destroys a village
• ग्रामघ्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + घ्र (प्रातिपदिक; √घ्र (धातु) से घ्र-प्रत्यय/घ्र-शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रामस्य घ्रः/घातकः)

• धर्मारण्ये: in Dharmāraṇya (the forest of Dharma)
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• विमुच्यते: is released/freed (from sin)
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense sacred forest with a luminous tīrtha; penitents of varied backgrounds approach with folded hands, bathing and offering water, while an unseen divine radiance signifies the burning away of sins.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya emphasizes the extraordinary redemptive capacity attributed to certain tīrthas, encouraging repentance and reorientation to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, described as a place where even perpetrators of severe wrongs may be freed from sin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single act is named here; the broader passage implies purification through entering/engaging with Dharmāraṇya (including bathing as stated earlier).