Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

वेदोदितां विधायापि हिंसां पापैर्न लिप्यते । विप्राणां वचनं श्रुत्वा पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

vedoditāṃ vidhāyāpi hiṃsāṃ pāpairna lipyate | viprāṇāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā punarvacanamabravīt

Translation

แม้กระทำความรุนแรงตามที่พระเวทบัญญัติไว้โดยถูกต้องตามพิธี ก็ไม่เปื้อนบาป ครั้นได้สดับถ้อยคำของพราหมณ์แล้ว เขาจึงกล่าวตอบอีกครั้ง

Word by Word

• वेदोदिताम्: enjoined/uttered by the Veda
• वेदोदिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-उदित (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + उदित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (hiṃsāṃ इति)

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) + वि-उपसर्ग; विधाय (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having done/after performing’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (even/also)

• हिंसाम्: violence
• हिंसाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• लिप्यते: is tainted/defiled
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having heard’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana/Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वचनम्: a reply/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (speaker unspecified in snippet); second half introduces an unnamed respondent

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disputation in a sacred forest: brāhmaṇas seated in a ritual enclosure, a king listening and responding; palm-leaf texts, sacrificial implements, and a tense but controlled atmosphere of śāstric debate.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Brāhmaṇas (Vipras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripturally enjoined duty is presented as non-sinful, while the narrative warns that dharma must be understood through proper teaching and context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the contextual sacred locale; this verse emphasizes doctrinal reasoning rather than pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General reference to Veda-stated rites; no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna is named.