Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

स्वान्मंत्रिणः समाहूय बभाषे वचनं त्विदम् । भो मंत्रिणो ब्रह्महत्या मयाऽकार्यविचारतः

Transliteration

svānmaṃtriṇaḥ samāhūya babhāṣe vacanaṃ tvidam | bho maṃtriṇo brahmahatyā mayā'kāryavicārataḥ

Translation

พระองค์ทรงเรียกเหล่าอำมาตย์เข้ามาแล้วตรัสว่า ดูก่อนอำมาตย์ทั้งหลาย เพราะความขาดสติพิจารณาในสิ่งที่มิควรทำ ข้าพเจ้าจึงได้กระทำบาปแห่งการฆ่าพราหมณ์ (พรหมหัตยา)

Word by Word

• स्वान्: his own
• स्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषण of ‘मंत्रिणः’ (own)

• मंत्रिणः: ministers, counselors
• मंत्रिणः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; (sandhi: स्वान् + मंत्रिणः → स्वान्मंत्रिणः)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√ह्वे/√ह्वा (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having summoned/called together’

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Pronominal modifier/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘this’ (refers to वचनम्)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• मंत्रिणः: O ministers
• मंत्रिणः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmin-slaying (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ब्रह्मणः हत्या’ (killing of a Brahmin)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr/Instrumental agent (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by me’

• अकार्यविचारतः: due to (wrong) deliberation about what should not be done
• अकार्यविचारतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकार्य + विचार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘from/because of consideration’; पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘अकार्यस्य विचारः’ → ‘अकार्यविचार’ + तः

Speaker

Pāṇḍya king Śaṅkara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kshetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, having summoned ministers, speaks with grave clarity: he admits brahmahatyā committed through lack of proper discernment; ministers stand in anxious silence, while the aura of impending expiation hangs over the court.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Pāṇḍya king)
• Ministers (Mantrins)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Admitting wrongdoing and recognizing moral blindness is the first step toward dharmic correction and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu remains the narrative setting, framing the king’s repentance and corrective action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite here; it is a formal confession to ministers preceding the expiatory act.