Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं ते सर्वमाख्यातं प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये । यदि शक्तोषि चेत्कर्तुं कुरुष्व त्वं द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

evaṃ te sarvamākhyātaṃ prāyaścittaṃ viśuddhaye | yadi śaktoṣi cetkartuṃ kuruṣva tvaṃ dvijottama

Translation

„So ist dir die ganze Sühne zur Reinigung dargelegt worden. Wenn du die Kraft hast, sie zu vollziehen, dann tue es, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen.“

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb “thus”

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/dative) एकवचन; “to you/for you”

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आख्यातम्) “all/entire”

• आख्यातम्: has been explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे “has been explained/told”

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘आख्यातम्’ इत्यस्य विषय/कर्म

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conditional “if”

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्वम्)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; “you are”

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conditional particle “if”

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) “to do”

• कुरुष्व: do (it)
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; “do!”

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचन; संबोधितः कर्ता

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/vocative) एकवचन; समासः: द्विजः एव उत्तमः (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The penitent dvija

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇas finish their counsel, addressing the dvija as 'best of the twice-born,' urging him to perform the expiation if able.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing dharmic counsel must culminate in action; purification is achieved through disciplined performance, not mere remorse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse; it continues the instructional sequence within the pilgrimage-mahātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction: perform the stated prāyaścitta if capable.