Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तथापि कथयाम्यद्य तच्छृणुध्वं हितं वचः । ब्रह्मशापेन घोरेण स्वेन दुष्कर्मणा कृतम्

Transliteration

tathāpi kathayāmyadya tacchṛṇudhvaṃ hitaṃ vacaḥ | brahmaśāpena ghoreṇa svena duṣkarmaṇā kṛtam

Translation

ถึงกระนั้น วันนี้เราจักกล่าว—จงฟังถ้อยคำอันเป็นประโยชน์เถิด คำสาปอันน่าสะพรึงของพราหมณ์นี้เกิดขึ้นเพราะกรรมชั่วของเราเอง

Word by Word

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूह (particle phrase) — ‘nevertheless’

• kathayāmi: I tell
• kathayāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I tell’

• adya: now; today
• adya: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time) — ‘today/now’

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (नपुं) — ‘that’ (vacaḥ qualifies)

• śṛṇudhvaṃ: listen
• śṛṇudhvaṃ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘listen (you all)’

• hitam: beneficial
• hitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘beneficial’ (vacaḥ qualifies)

• vacaḥ: words; speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana/vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘word(s), speech’

• brahmaśāpena: by Brahmā’s curse
• brahmaśāpena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-śāpa (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन्+शाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः ब्रह्मणः शापः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘by Brahmā’s curse’

• ghoreṇa: terrible
• ghoreṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘terrible’ (śāpena qualifies)

• svena: by one’s own
• svena: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by one’s own’ (duṣkarmaṇā qualifies)

• duṣkarmaṇā: by an evil deed
• duṣkarmaṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣ-karman (प्रातिपदिक; दुष्+कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः दुष्टं कर्म (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय) — ‘by evil deed’

• kṛtam: done; brought about
• kṛtam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘done/made’ (elliptic: ‘this has been done’)

Speaker

Vidhūma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvara kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vidhūma’s companions/retainers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vidhūma speaks with gravity, admitting that a terrible Brahmin’s curse arose from his own wrongdoing; listeners appear stunned yet attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhūma
• Brahmaśāpa (Brahmin’s curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accountability is central to dharma: suffering is not random but connected to one’s actions, and wisdom begins with honest admission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; Setukhaṇḍa overall relates to the sanctity of Setu/Rāmeśvaram.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.