Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अहो मे पौरुषं नष्टमद्य दैवविपर्ययात् । अद्य कीर्तिश्च मे नष्टा पातकं प्राप्तमुत्क टम्

Transliteration

aho me pauruṣaṃ naṣṭamadya daivaviparyayāt | adya kīrtiśca me naṣṭā pātakaṃ prāptamutka ṭam

Translation

Weh mir! Heute ist durch die Verkehrung des Geschicks meine Manneskraft dahin; heute ist auch mein Ruhm zerstört — eine schwere Sünde ist über mich gekommen.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!
• अहो: Bhava-prakashana (Exclamation/भावप्रकाशन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/शोक-सूचक अव्यय (interjection)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पौरुषम्: manliness, valor
• पौरुषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नष्टम्: is destroyed
• नष्टम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √naś, क्त PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दैव: fate, divine
• दैव: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• विपर्ययात्: from reversal/misfortune
• विपर्ययात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viparyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• नष्टा: is destroyed
• नष्टा: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭā (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √naś, क्त PPP)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्तम्: has befallen/been attained
• प्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √āp with pra-, क्त PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• उत्कटम्: terrible, intense
• उत्कटम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: utkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

The king (nṛpati), in inner speech

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of the king in solitary chamber after court: he looks into a mirror or at his sword laid aside, seeing ‘lost valor’; shadows suggest the weight of pātaka while a faint dawn light hints at possible redemption.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is violated—especially protective duty—inner conscience recognizes it as pātaka, and true honor (kīrti) collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets the ground for repentance and corrective action in the narrative.