Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विडंबितेन चानेन कृतप्रतिकृतं कृतम् । तस्मान्न चास्य दोषः स्याद्यतः प्रोक्तं मुनीश्वरैः

Transliteration

viḍaṃbitena cānena kṛtapratikṛtaṃ kṛtam | tasmānna cāsya doṣaḥ syādyataḥ proktaṃ munīśvaraiḥ

Translation

وهذا الرجلُ—وقد خُدِع—قد أوقعَ مقابلةً لما فُعِل به. فلذلك لا ينبغي أن تُنسبَ إليه خطيئة، إذ هكذا صرّحَ الحكماءُ من المونِيّين الأجلّاء.

Word by Word

• विडम्बितेन: by the deceived/one who was mocked
• विडम्बितेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + डम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) विडम्बित; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अनेन: by this (person)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत-प्रतिकृतम्: a counter-act, retaliation
• कृत-प्रतिकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-कृदन्त) + प्रतिकृत (प्रति+कृ-धातोः क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतस्य प्रतिकृतम् / कृतं प्रति कृतम्)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम् (Ablative sg used adverbially: 'therefore')

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दोषः: fault, blame
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be, should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal adverb: 'because/wherefrom')

• प्रोक्तम्: was stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense/कर्मणि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• मुनीश्वरैः: by the lords among sages
• मुनीश्वरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनाम् ईश्वराः)

Speaker

Narrative context (Didactic justification citing muni-authority; likely within Sūta’s narration or a dharma debate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of sages pronounces a verdict: the deceived person stands with humility; elders raise hands in assurance that no fault attaches; the atmosphere shifts from accusation to calm resolution.

Characters & Entities

• Munis (munīśvarāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic ethics can treat proportional counter-action as blameless when grounded in established dharma and sage testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this single verse; it supports the narrative’s moral framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is a dharma-justification citing munis.