Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अथासाद्य गतं दूरं प्रणिपत्य मुनिं च सः । प्रोवाच क्षम्यतां विप्र विप्राणां वचनान्मम

Transliteration

athāsādya gataṃ dūraṃ praṇipatya muniṃ ca saḥ | provāca kṣamyatāṃ vipra viprāṇāṃ vacanānmama

Translation

Dann erreichte er den weit gegangenen Muni, warf sich vor ihm nieder und sprach: „O Brahmane, vergib—um der Worte willen, die von uns Brahmanen gesprochen wurden.“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• आसाद्य: having approached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having approached/reached

• गतम्: gone
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; दूरम् इति विशेषणार्थे (gone)

• दूरम्: far
• दूरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (accusative used adverbially): far

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: having bowed down

• मुनिम्: to the sage
• मुनिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (said)

• क्षम्यताम्: please forgive
• क्षम्यताम्: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (let it be forgiven / please forgive)

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

• विप्राणाम्: of the brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (of the brahmins)

• वचनात्: because of the word/command
• वचनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (from/at the word)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive: my)

Speaker

Suśīla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a forest path, Suśīla falls full-length at the sage’s feet; the muni pauses, still stern, while the air feels charged yet turning toward peace.

Characters & Entities

• Suśīla
• Durvāsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility, prostration, and sincere request for forgiveness are presented as dharmic remedies for offenses against saints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader sacred-geography narrative by emphasizing right conduct at holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (prostration) and seeking kṣamā (forgiveness) are the prescribed acts in response to wrongdoing.