Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तं प्रदातव्यं चतुर्भिरपरैः सह । संमन्त्र्य मनुना प्रोक्तमेतदेव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

prāyaścittaṃ pradātavyaṃ caturbhiraparaiḥ saha | saṃmantrya manunā proktametadeva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Die Sühne (prāyaścitta) ist zusammen mit vier weiteren zu vollziehen. Nach Beratung hat Manu genau dies verkündet, o Beste der Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation, penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); समासः—प्रायः+चित्त (तत्पुरुष)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयभावः—‘to be given/should be given’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Sahakari (Instrument/सहकारी-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr, Pl); संख्याविशेषण

• अपरैः: with others, additional
• अपरैः: Sahakari (Instrument/सहकारी-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr, Pl)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारार्थक-अव्यय (postposition/adverb: ‘together with’)

• संमन्त्र्य: having consulted
• संमन्त्र्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having consulted’

• मनुना: by Manu
• मनुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instr, Sg)

• प्रोक्तम्: declared, stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter pronoun, Nom/Acc, Sg)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nom, Pl); समासः—द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of learned brāhmaṇas advising a remorseful offender; palm-leaf manuscripts and a ritual space indicate Manu-smṛti authority and formal deliberation.

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• dvijottamāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atonement is not arbitrary; dharma requires sanctioned procedure, consultation, and qualified participation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta should be performed with a group—specifically along with four others—following Manu’s stated rule.