Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

परं तस्य वधाज्जाता ब्रह्महत्या सुगर्हिता । तव शक्र न तेनाद्य स्पृशामोऽस्पृश्यतां गतम्

Transliteration

paraṃ tasya vadhājjātā brahmahatyā sugarhitā | tava śakra na tenādya spṛśāmo'spṛśyatāṃ gatam

Translation

"แต่จากการสังหารเขานั้น บาปมหันต์แห่งการฆ่าพราหมณ์ (พรหมहत्या) ได้เกิดขึ้นแก่เจ้าแล้ว โอ ท้าวสักกะ เพราะเหตุนั้น วันนี้พวกเราจึงไม่อาจสัมผัสเจ้าได้—เจ้าได้ตกอยู่ในสภาวะที่ไม่ควรสัมผัสทางพิธีกรรมแล้ว"

Word by Word

• परम्: however
• परम्: Vakyopanyasa (Discourse marker/वाक्योपन्यास)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: ‘however/but’)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वधात्: from the killing
• वधात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जाता: arisen
• जाता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (ब्रह्महत्या विशेषयति)

• ब्रह्म-हत्या: the sin of Brahmin-slaying (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्म-हत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या/ब्रह्महत्यादोषः)

• सुगर्हिता: highly blameworthy
• सुगर्हिता: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘greatly censured’ (ब्रह्महत्या विशेषयति)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्र: O Śakra
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• तेन: because of that/with that
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (time adverb)

• स्पृशामः: we touch
• स्पृशामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अस्पृश्यताम्: untouchability
• अस्पृश्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्पृश्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘untouchability/state of being untouchable’

• गतम्: attained
• गतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘gone/attained’ (अस्पृश्यताम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śakra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā solemnly declares that Indra has incurred brahmahatyā from the killing; the devas recoil, refusing contact, marking Indra as ritually untouchable despite his sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings are bound by moral law; grave wrongdoing produces impurity that requires prescribed purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it introduces the need for purification that will be fulfilled through tīrthayātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: avoidance due to impurity (aspṛśyatā); explicit remedial rites are stated later as tīrthayātrā.