Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एष आत्मा मया दत्तस्तव हेममयो द्विज । यत्किंचिद्विहितं पापं पूर्वं भूयात्तवाखिलम्

Transliteration

eṣa ātmā mayā dattastava hemamayo dvija | yatkiṃcidvihitaṃ pāpaṃ pūrvaṃ bhūyāttavākhilam

Translation

„O Zweimalgeborener, dieses ‘Selbst’ habe ich dir in goldener Gestalt gegeben. Welche Sünde auch immer zuvor begangen wurde — sie sei insgesamt die deine.“

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषणम् (आत्मा)

• आत्मा: self/soul (here: this image as self)
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृ/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — given

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular

• हेममयः: made of gold
• हेममयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; तद्धितान्त (मयट्) ‘made of’; विशेषणम् (आत्मा)

• द्विज: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• यत्किंचित्: whatever/any
• यत्किंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् + किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘whatever/anything’; अत्र विशेषणरूपेण (पापम्)

• विहितम्: committed/done
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्) — done/committed

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• भूयात्: may be/become
• भूयात्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — may it become/be

• तव: your/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular

• अखिलम्: all/entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्) — entire/all

Speaker

Ritual declarant (the donor/king), as instructed by Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor (king/householder) offers a small golden human-form effigy representing the ‘self’ to a seated brāhmaṇa; ritual vessels, kuśa grass, and a tīrtha backdrop suggest pilgrimage context; the moment is solemn, emphasizing purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation is dramatized as relinquishment of one’s burden through consecrated dāna, expressing remorse and a resolve to be purified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a ritual utterance within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not name the location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal donation declaration: gifting a golden representation of the self and verbally consigning prior sins as part of the expiatory rite.