Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्येऽहं यज्ञस्यास्य प्रसिद्धये । दक्षिणा गौर्यथोक्ता च कृत्वा होमं विधानतः । त्वमस्य राक्षसं भावं हरस्व मम वाक्यतः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | prāyaścittaṃ kariṣye'haṃ yajñasyāsya prasiddhaye | dakṣiṇā gauryathoktā ca kṛtvā homaṃ vidhānataḥ | tvamasya rākṣasaṃ bhāvaṃ harasva mama vākyataḥ

Translation

Brahmā sprach: „Damit dieses Yajña zu vollendetem Ruhm und Gelingen gelangt, werde ich die vorgeschriebene Sühne (prāyaścitta) vollziehen. Und nachdem ich Gaurī die dakṣiṇā, wie geboten, dargebracht und das homa nach rechter Vorschrift vollendet habe, sollst du—auf mein Wort—ihm diese Rākṣasa-Natur nehmen.“

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• करिष्ये: I will perform
• करिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘I will do’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of this)

• प्रसिद्धये: for the successful completion / renown
• प्रसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular (for success/renown)

• दक्षिणा: the sacrificial fee
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• गौर्या: by Gaurī
• गौर्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/through Gaurī)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• उक्ता: as stated
• उक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’ (agreeing with दक्षिणा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having done’

• होमम्: homa (fire-offering)
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed procedure
• विधानतः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to rule’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• राक्षसम्: demonic
• राक्षसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying भावम्)

• भावम्: state / nature
• भावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• हरस्व: remove
• हरस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘remove/take away’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• वाक्यतः: by my command / on my word
• वाक्यतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from/according to (my) word’

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A commanding addressee tasked to remove rākṣasa-bhāva (contextually the empowered agent/being addressed by Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, seated on a lotus, instructs that expiation be done, dakṣiṇā offered to Gaurī, and homa completed; he commands the removal of a rākṣasa-nature from a being.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes that ritual power must be paired with expiation (prāyaścitta), correct procedure (vidhi), and rightful giving (dakṣiṇā) to restore harmony and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrtha-māhātmya context; the immediate passage focuses on ritual rectification tied to the sacred geography around Nāgara/Camatkārapura rather than naming a separate pan-Indian tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (atonement), proper homa (fire-offering) according to vidhi, and giving dakṣiṇā—specifically as instructed for Gaurī.