Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

मंत्रवत्तं यथोक्तं च ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने । स्नात्वा पुण्यजले तीर्थे ब्रह्मघ्नोऽहमिति ब्रुवन्

Transliteration

maṃtravattaṃ yathoktaṃ ca brāhmaṇāya mahātmane | snātvā puṇyajale tīrthe brahmaghno'hamiti bruvan

Translation

พร้อมด้วยมนต์ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ จงถวายสิ่งนั้นแด่พราหมณ์ผู้มีจิตยิ่งใหญ่ ครั้นอาบน้ำในสายน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งทีรถะแล้ว จงกล่าวสารภาพว่า “ข้าพเจ้าเป็นผู้ต้องบาปพรหมหัตยา”

Word by Word

• मन्त्रवत्: with mantras; duly with mantra-recitation
• मन्त्रवत्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्धितान्त-वत् (possessive/‘with’ sense) अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यथा-उक्तम्: as stated; according to instruction
• यथा-उक्तम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; अव्ययवत् (adverbial) प्रयोगः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; 'ब्राह्मणाय' इति विशेषणम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• पुण्यजले: in the holy water
• पुण्यजले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यं जलं यस्मिन्/यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'तीर्थे' इति विशेषणम्

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः घ्नः = ब्राह्मण-हन्ता); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a sacred ford, the penitent stands waist-deep in clear water, hands joined; nearby a venerable brāhmaṇa receives a mantra-sanctified offering. The pilgrim speaks a stark confession, the atmosphere solemn and purifying.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Brāhmaṇa (recipient of dāna)
• Indra (as performer/confessor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atonement is not denial but truthful confession, combined with sacred bathing and charitable transfer done in a mantra-sanctioned way.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha holy waters in general (puṇya-jala) as the setting for purification and confession.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tīrtha snāna, make a mantra-accompanied donation to a worthy brāhmaṇa, and utter the confessional statement ‘brahmaghno’ham’.