Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एतदेव हि ते ब्रह्मन्प्रायश्चित्तं प्रकीर्तितम् । जनहास्यकरं लोके तव गर्हाकरं परम्

Transliteration

etadeva hi te brahmanprāyaścittaṃ prakīrtitam | janahāsyakaraṃ loke tava garhākaraṃ param

Translation

Eben dies, o Brahmane, ist als dein prāyaścitta (Sühne) verkündet: Es macht dich in der Welt zum Gegenstand öffentlichen Gelächters und bringt dir den höchsten Tadel.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

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

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितम्: has been proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रकीर्तितम्’ = proclaimed/declared

• जनहास्यकरम्: causing people’s laughter
• जनहास्यकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन + हास्य + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनस्य हास्यं करोति)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• गर्हाकरम्: bringing reproach
• गर्हाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गर्हां करोति)

• परम्: supreme/very great
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/authority voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa (addressed as 'brahman')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ritual arena with a consecrated altar; a Brahmin stands chastened as a speaker pronounces expiation that will bring public ridicule and severe reproach.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (addressed figure, likely Brahmā or a brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True expiation may demand humility and endurance of blame; purification is not always socially comfortable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the māhātmya’s moral-ritual framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies a particular prāyaścitta (expiation) characterized by public ridicule, without detailing a separate rite.