Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तत्तारणार्थाय विप्रकृत्यं समाचर । एतदर्थं मयैतत्ते कृतं कर्म विगर्हितम्

Transliteration

tasmāttattāraṇārthāya viprakṛtyaṃ samācara | etadarthaṃ mayaitatte kṛtaṃ karma vigarhitam

Translation

„Darum, zu seiner Erlösung, vollziehe den einem Brāhmaṇa angemessenen Ritus. Zu diesem Zweck habe ich dir gegenüber diese Tat begangen, obgleich sie tadelnswert ist.“

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-तद्धित/निपातप्राय प्रयोगः; अपादानार्थक (ablatival adverb)

• tat: of him/that (i.e., of your father)
• tat: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपदम्)

• tāraṇa-arthāya: for the purpose of deliverance
• tāraṇa-arthāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tāraṇasya arthaḥ)

• vipra-kṛtyam: a brahminical act / priestly duty
• vipra-kṛtyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (viprāṇāṃ kṛtyam)

• samācara: perform
• samācara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• etat-artham: this purpose
• etat-artham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (etasya arthaḥ)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘kṛtam’ इत्यस्य कर्म (द्वितीया)

• te: for you / to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘etat’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• karma: act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘etat … kṛtaṃ karma’ इति—‘karma’ मुख्यं, ‘kṛtam’ विशेषणम्

• vigarhitam: blameworthy / censured
• vigarhitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√garh (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘karma’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Viṣṇusena (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devaśarman (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense exchange: the king urges a brāhmaṇa to perform the proper priestly rite for his father’s deliverance, admitting he committed a censurable act for this purpose; gestures show urgency and remorse.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇusena
• Nāgahrada
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when one’s means are flawed, the intention to rescue ancestors through dharma-driven rites is presented as a powerful motive requiring proper ritual correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgahrada remains the implied sacred setting where the deliverance-oriented rite is to be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To perform the viprakṛtya—i.e., the brāhmaṇa-led śrāddha procedure—for the ancestor’s deliverance.