Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

व्रतत्यागान्न संदेहस्तत्र ते नास्ति किंचन । प्रायश्चित्तं मया सम्यक्स्मृतिमार्गेण चिंतितम्

Transliteration

vratatyāgānna saṃdehastatra te nāsti kiṃcana | prāyaścittaṃ mayā samyaksmṛtimārgeṇa ciṃtitam

Translation

Durch das Aufgeben des Gelübdes besteht kein Zweifel: für dich bleibt darin keinerlei Ungewissheit. Eine angemessene Sühne (prāyaścitta) habe ich, dem Pfad der Smṛtis folgend, wohl erwogen.

Word by Word

• व्रतत्यागात्: from the abandonment of the vow
• व्रतत्यागात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य त्यागः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• संदेहः: doubt
• संदेहः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• किंचन: anything at all
• किंचन: Karma/Predicate (Object/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्मृतिमार्गेण: by the path of Smṛti (tradition)
• स्मृतिमार्गेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्मृतेः मार्गः)

• चिंतितम्: considered/thought out
• चिंतितम्: Karma/Predicate (Predicative to prāyaścittaṃ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययः क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicitly marked; the topic anticipates Durvāsā’s later prescription)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā, now calmer, outlines expiation; a symbolic balance scale or dharma-wheel appears; the listener shows remorse; ritual items (water pot, kuśa, fire) indicate purification.

Characters & Entities

• Smṛti
• Prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When vows are broken, dharma requires conscious atonement guided by tradition (Smṛti), not denial or confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces prāyaścitta (expiation) to be determined according to Smṛti rules.