Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

येन वै क्रियमाणेन तीर्थेऽस्मिन्द्विजसत्तम । ब्रह्महत्यादिपापेभ्यो मुच्यते तद्ब्रवीहि मे

Transliteration

yena vai kriyamāṇena tīrthe'smindvijasattama | brahmahatyādipāpebhyo mucyate tadbravīhi me

Translation

اے برہمنوں میں افضل! مجھے بتائیے کہ اس تیرتھ میں کون سا عمل کیا جائے تو برہماہتیا وغیرہ جیسے گناہوں سے نجات ملتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘by which’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis/indeed

• क्रियमाणेन: by (it) being performed
• क्रियमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्रियमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे; ‘being done/performed’ (agreeing with implied कर्म/यज्ञादि)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘in this’ (qualifies तीर्थे)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-पापेभ्यः: from sins such as brahma-hatya
• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-पापेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्महत्या-आदीनि पापानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाप), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), बहुवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that (means/rite)’

• ब्रवीहि: tell
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic

Speaker

Unspecified interlocutor (listener asking a Brahmin sage, likely Vasiṣṭha, within Dharmāraṇya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker at a forest tīrtha respectfully questions a venerable ṛṣi about the act that destroys brahmahatyā and other sins; the setting shows a river/ford, sacrificial ground, and ascetics’ huts beneath sacred trees.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Tīrtha
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a tīrtha with sincere inquiry and right practice is presented as a means of purification even from the gravest sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sacred tīrtha (Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for the specific act/rite to be performed at the tīrtha; the prescription is given in the following verses.