Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

असहिष्णुर्द्विजाः पित्रोरेवं कंसकृतागसम् । जघान मातुलं कंसं देवब्राह्मणकंट कम्

Transliteration

asahiṣṇurdvijāḥ pitrorevaṃ kaṃsakṛtāgasam | jaghāna mātulaṃ kaṃsaṃ devabrāhmaṇakaṃṭa kam

Translation

เมื่อไม่อาจทนต่อบาปหนักที่กังสะก่อไว้ โดยเฉพาะต่อผู้ใหญ่ของตนเอง พระกฤษณะจึงประหารกังสะผู้เป็นน้าชายฝ่ายมารดา—ผู้เป็นดั่งหนามที่ทิ่มแทงเหล่าเทวะและพราหมณ์

Word by Word

• असहिष्णुः: intolerant (of), unable to bear
• असहिष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असहिष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• द्विजाः: the brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पित्रोः: of the two fathers/parents
• पित्रोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक (manner adverb)

• कंसकृतागसम्: whose sin was committed by Kaṃsa / Kaṃsa-wrought offender
• कंसकृतागसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कंस-कृत-आगस् (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः): 'कंसेन कृतम् आगः यस्य'; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जघान: slew, killed
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मातुलम्: maternal uncle
• मातुलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कंसम्: Kaṃsa
• कंसम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मातुलम् इति विशेष्य

• देवब्राह्मणकण्टकम्: a thorn/menace to gods and brāhmaṇas
• देवब्राह्मणकण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ब्राह्मण-कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): 'देवानां ब्राह्मणानां च कण्टकः' (thorn/menace); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कंसस्य विशेषणरूपेण

Speaker

Narrator (addressing ‘dvijāḥ’—brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: मथुरा-क्षेत्र (कंस-वध-स्मृति)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ऋषिगण

Visual Art Cues

Scene: कंस-वध का क्षण—मल्लयुद्ध-रंगभूमि/सभामण्डप; कृष्ण का उग्र पराक्रम, भयभीत सभाजन, देव-स्तुति की अनुभूति

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃsa
• Kṛṣṇa
• Devas
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes a threat to the righteous, its removal is portrayed as a dharmic act for the protection of society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it frames the moral question that leads to the Setu-related prāyaścitta teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the prāyaścitta instructions begin after Kṛṣṇa raises the question in later verses.