Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि तस्मादात्मविशुद्धये । ततो विश्वावसुर्विप्रान्स्मार्ताञ्छ्रुतिसमन्वितान् । तदर्थमानयामास वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्

Transliteration

prāyaścittaṃ kariṣyāmi tasmādātmaviśuddhaye | tato viśvāvasurviprānsmārtāñchrutisamanvitān | tadarthamānayāmāsa vedavidyāvicakṣaṇān

Translation

«Darum werde ich zur Läuterung meines eigenen Selbst das prāyaścitta (Sühneritus) vollziehen.» Daraufhin brachte Viśvāvasu gelehrte Brāhmaṇas herbei—Autoritäten der Smṛti, in der Śruti gegründet—scharfsinnige Kenner vedischen Wissens, genau zu diesem Zweck.

Word by Word

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

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• आत्म-विशुद्धये: for self-purification
• आत्म-विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient-like/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम (then)

• विश्वावसुः: Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• स्मार्तान्: versed in Smṛti
• स्मार्तान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मार्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विप्रान्)

• श्रुति-समन्वितान्: endowed with Vedic learning
• श्रुति-समन्वितान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विप्रान्)

• तत्-अर्थम्: for that purpose
• तत्-अर्थम्: Karma (Adverbial object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for that purpose)

• आनयामास: he brought/summoned
• आनयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• वेद-विद्या-विचक्षणान्: skilled in Vedic knowledge
• वेद-विद्या-विचक्षणान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विप्रान्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The son resolves to perform prāyaścitta for self-purification; Viśvāvasu summons a group of learned brāhmaṇas—experts in Smṛti and grounded in Śruti—arriving with palm-leaf texts and ritual implements.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāvasu
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Śruti
• Smṛti
• prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is pursued through humility and proper guidance—seeking prāyaścitta from those grounded in Śruti and Smṛti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; the chapter belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya setting overall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The intention to perform prāyaścitta is stated, and qualified brāhmaṇas are summoned to determine the appropriate expiation.