Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कृत्वा पापं विजानता । प्रायश्चित्तं तु कर्तव्यं यथोक्तं ब्राह्मणो दितम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena kṛtvā pāpaṃ vijānatā | prāyaścittaṃ tu kartavyaṃ yathoktaṃ brāhmaṇo ditam

Translation

Darum soll, wer weiß, dass er Sünde begangen hat, mit aller Anstrengung das Prāyaścitta (Sühneritus) genau so vollziehen, wie es von den Brāhmaṇas verkündet wurde.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादर्थे), ablative-sense adverbial usage

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः यस्य/सर्वप्रयत्नः)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having done’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विजानता: by one who knows (it)
• विजानता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता) (participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘knowing/being aware’

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (वाक्ये कर्म/विधेय-रूपे)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ/विरोधार्थ-निपात (particle)

• कर्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थः—‘should be done’

• यथोक्तम्: as prescribed
• यथोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त; वच्/वद् धातु)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘as stated’

• ब्राह्मणोदितम्: spoken by a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणोदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त; वद्/उद्+इ धातु-प्रयोगः ‘said/uttered’)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्राह्मणेन उदितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent householder approaches venerable brāhmaṇas seated in a tīrtha-āśrama, receiving precise instructions for expiation; atmosphere of restraint and moral clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇas (elders/authorities)
• Rohitāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing one’s fault should immediately lead to disciplined expiation; dharma is restored through prescribed corrective action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform prāyaścitta with full effort, following the brāhmaṇas’ stated procedure.