Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

तस्माद्वसिष्ठमाहूय प्रायश्चित्तं समाचर । अशुद्धं शुद्धिमायाति येन गात्रमिदं तव

Transliteration

tasmādvasiṣṭhamāhūya prāyaścittaṃ samācara | aśuddhaṃ śuddhimāyāti yena gātramidaṃ tava

Translation

অতএব বশিষ্ঠকে আহ্বান করে প্রায়শ্চিত্ত পালন কর; যাতে তোমার এই অশুদ্ধ দেহ শুদ্ধতা লাভ করে।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् निपातः/अव्ययप्रयोगः, अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense): ‘therefore/from that reason’

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having summoned/called’

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचर: perform/practice
• समाचर: Kriyā (Predicate/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशुद्धम्: impure
• अशुद्धम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (गात्रम् इदम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शुद्धिम्: purity
• शुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आयाति: attains/comes to
• आयाति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनार्थे ‘by which’

• गात्रम्: body/limb
• गात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (गात्रम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Unnamed people/attendants (advising the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Advisers point the king toward the path of expiation: ‘Summon Vasiṣṭha’; the king appears receptive, hands folded, as if ready to undertake austerity; a hermitage or sage’s presence is anticipated.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When afflicted by grave sin, one should seek a realized teacher and follow prescribed prāyaścitta to restore inner and outer purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named yet; the narrative is moving toward pilgrimage-based expiation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform prāyaścitta under the guidance of Vasiṣṭha so that impurity is removed.