Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अज्ञानतो यदा पीतं मद्यं विप्रेण कर्हिचित् । अग्नितुल्यं घृतं पीत्वा तावन्मात्रं विशुध्यति

Transliteration

ajñānato yadā pītaṃ madyaṃ vipreṇa karhicit | agnitulyaṃ ghṛtaṃ pītvā tāvanmātraṃ viśudhyati

Translation

„Wenn aber ein Brāhmaṇa irgendwann aus Unwissenheit berauschenden Trank getrunken hat, so wird er rein, indem er in derselben Menge Ghee (geklärte Butter) trinkt, heiß wie Feuer.“

Word by Word

• अज्ञानतः: unknowingly
• अज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (तसिल्/ablatival adverb) “from ignorance/unknowingly”

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; temporal adverb “when”

• पीतम्: drunk
• पीतम्: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे “(it) has been drunk”

• मद्यम्: liquor
• मद्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘पीतम्’ इत्यस्य कर्म/विषय

• विप्रेण: by a Brahmin
• विप्रेण: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन; कर्तृकरणे (कर्मणि-प्रयोगे agent)

• कर्हिचित्: at some time
• कर्हिचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; indefinite temporal adverb “at some time/ever”

• अग्नितुल्यम्: like fire
• अग्नितुल्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (घृतम्) । समासः: अग्निना तुल्यम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्म (पीत्वा)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) “having drunk”

• तावन्मात्रम्: to that extent
• तावन्मात्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् परिमाण-प्रयोग; adverbial accusative “to that extent/that much”

• विशुध्यति: is purified
• विशुध्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; “is purified”

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The penitent dvija

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas explain a mitigated expiation: ghee heated like fire, measured to the accidental intake; the tone is compassionate yet firm.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma texts distinguish intention: ignorance lessens culpability, yet purification remains necessary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it functions as a dharma-prāyaścitta instruction within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Drinking very hot ghee (agnitulyam ghṛtam) equal to the quantity consumed is given as expiation for unknowing liquor intake.