Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अर्थशास्त्रपरेणैव विधिना तमबोधयत् । आततायिनमायांतं ब्राह्मणं वा तपस्विनम् । हंतुकामं जिघांसीयान्न तेन ब्रह्महा भवेत्

Transliteration

arthaśāstrapareṇaiva vidhinā tamabodhayat | ātatāyinamāyāṃtaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ vā tapasvinam | haṃtukāmaṃ jighāṃsīyānna tena brahmahā bhavet

Translation

اس نے ارتھ شاستر اور قانون پر مبنی قاعدے سے سمجھایا: اگر کوئی حملہ آور قاتلانہ نیت سے آئے—خواہ وہ برہمن ہو یا تپسوی—تو اسے قتل کرنے کے لیے وار کرنا چاہیے؛ اس عمل سے برہمن کشی کا گناہ نہیں لگتا۔

Word by Word

• अर्थशास्त्रपरेण: by one devoted to arthaśāstra
• अर्थशास्त्रपरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arthaśāstra + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (अर्थशास्त्रे परः = devoted to arthaśāstra)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle ‘indeed’

• विधिना: by the rule/method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अबोधयत्: instructed, made understand
• अबोधयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः = ‘caused to understand/instructed’

• आततायिनम्: an aggressor/assailant
• आततायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātatāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: approaching
• आयान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले), पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन = present active participle ‘coming/approaching’ (qualifying आततायिनम्)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) = disjunctive particle ‘or’

• तपस्विनम्: an ascetic
• तपस्विनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हन्तुकामम्: desiring to kill
• हन्तुकामम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hantu (तुमुन् of han/घ्ना धातु) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (हन्तुं कामः यस्य = desiring to kill)

• जिघांसियात्: should try to kill
• जिघांसियात्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han/ghn̥ā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (संभावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद; desiderative stem (जिघांस-) = ‘should wish/seek to kill’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = negation particle ‘not’

• तेन: by that (act), thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Pronoun, Instrumental, Singular (‘by that/thereby’)

• ब्रह्महा: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः = तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हन्ता = slayer of a Brahmin)

• भवेत्: would become/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs Indra with a calm, authoritative gesture; the concept of the ‘aggressor’ is symbolized by a shadowy figure approaching with weapon, while Indra stands poised yet restrained.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Ātatāyin (aggressor)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Tapasvin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma recognizes protection of life: stopping a murderous aggressor is not counted as brahmahatyā when done as necessary defense.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha is named; the Kedāra context provides the broader sacred setting for dharma-teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A legal-dharma injunction is given (ātatāyin doctrine); no snāna/dāna/japa is specified in this verse.