Home›Skanda Purana›Nagara Khanda›Tirtha Mahatmya›Adhyaya 213›Shloka 58
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

मयाथ धर्मशास्त्रज्ञः कश्चित्पृष्टो द्विजोत्तमः । प्रायश्चित्तं यथोक्तं मे वद मातृनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

mayātha dharmaśāstrajñaḥ kaścitpṛṣṭo dvijottamaḥ | prāyaścittaṃ yathoktaṃ me vada mātṛniṣevaṇāt

Translation

Darum wandte ich mich an einen vortrefflichen Brāhmaṇa, kundig in den Dharma-Śāstras, und fragte: „Sage mir die rechte Sühne (prāyaścitta), wie sie gelehrt wird, für die Tat, (unwissentlich) mich meiner Mutter genähert zu haben.“

Word by Word
मयाby me
मया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुष-प्रातिपदिक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)
अथthen/now
अथ:
Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)
धर्मशास्त्रज्ञःknower of dharmaśāstra
धर्मशास्त्रज्ञः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मशास्त्र + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मशास्त्रस्य ज्ञः = knower of dharmaśāstra)
कश्चित्someone/a certain (person)
कश्चित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
पृष्टःwas asked
पृष्टः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (one who was asked)
द्विजोत्तमःbest of the twice-born (brahmin)
द्विजोत्तमः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः द्विजः = best of the twice-born)
प्रायश्चित्तम्expiation/penance
प्रायश्चित्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
यथोक्तम्as prescribed/said
यथोक्तम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootयथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (as stated)
मेto me/for me
मे:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (enclitic form)
वदtell/say
वद:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मातृनिषेवणात्from (the act of) serving one’s mother
मातृनिषेवणात्:
Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातुः निषेवणम् = service/attendance of mother)
Speaker

An afflicted man (the repentant narrator within the tīrtha-māhātmya dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An afflicted man approaches an elderly learned brāhmaṇa seated on a kuśa mat, palm-leaf texts nearby; the seeker bows and asks for expiation for the mistaken act.

Characters & Entities
D
dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
D
dharmaśāstra
P
prāyaścitta
M
mātṛniṣevaṇa

FAQs

When wrongdoing is realized, one should seek dharma-guided counsel and undertake prescribed expiation rather than hide the fault.

Not specified in this verse; the broader chapter belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya context where purification is linked to sacred practice.

The verse explicitly asks for prāyaścitta (expiation) according to dharmaśāstra; the details are given later.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→