Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या महा घोरा नरकक्लेशकारिणी । इत्युक्त्वा विररामाथ सापि वागशरीरिणी

Transliteration

brahmahatyā mahā ghorā narakakleśakāriṇī | ityuktvā virarāmātha sāpi vāgaśarīriṇī

Translation

“การฆ่าพราหมณ์นั้นน่าสะพรึงยิ่ง นำความทุกข์แห่งนรกมาให้” กล่าวแล้วเสียงไร้กายนั้นก็นิ่งเงียบไป

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmin-slaying sin (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (ब्रह्महत्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• घोरा: terrible
• घोरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (ब्रह्महत्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• नरक-क्लेश-कारिणी: causing torment in hell
• नरक-क्लेश-कारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— ‘नरके क्लेशं करोति’ (ब्रह्महत्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण-समाप्ति/quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• विरराम: ceased; stopped
• विरराम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तर्ये) — ‘then’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• वाक्-अशरीरिणी: the bodiless voice
• वाक्-अशरीरिणी: Apposition (Same referent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अशरीरिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः— ‘अशरीरिणी वाक्’

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī vāk (bodiless divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi (Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An unseen voice warns of the dreadfulness of brahmahatyā and the torments of hell; the shore scene darkens in tone, with the pilgrim listening in sober fear and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• brahmahatyā
• naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave violence, especially against a brāhmaṇa, is condemned as leading to severe karmic suffering, urging restraint and repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Setu/Dhanuṣkoṭi, since the warning accompanies the tīrtha-based expiation narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is stated here; it underscores the seriousness of the sin for which the preceding snāna-prāyaścitta is sought.