Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि राजादेर्निग्रहात्तथा । नित्यकर्मनिवृत्तिः स्याद्यस्य पुंसोऽवशात्मनः । तेनाप्यत्र विधातव्यं प्रायश्चित्तं प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

ajñānājjñānato vāpi rājādernigrahāttathā | nityakarmanivṛttiḥ syādyasya puṃso'vaśātmanaḥ | tenāpyatra vidhātavyaṃ prāyaścittaṃ prayatnataḥ

Translation

Ob aus Unwissenheit oder wissentlich—und ebenso durch ein Verbot des Königs und dergleichen—wenn bei einem Menschen in hilfloser Lage die täglichen Pflichtwerke (nitya-karma) ausfallen, dann soll auch er hier mit ernstem Eifer Prāyaścitta vollziehen.

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ

• ज्ञानतः: knowingly
• ज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय: ‘knowingly’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार

• राजादेः: from (the action of) the king and others
• राजादेः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी (5th/6th), एकवचन; ‘राजा-आदि’ समाहार-निर्देशः, अत्र पञ्चमी (ablative: ‘due to restraint by king etc.’)

• निग्रहात्: from restraint/compulsion
• निग्रहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (because of restraint/compulsion)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (also)

• नित्यकर्मनिवृत्तिः: cessation of daily rites
• नित्यकर्मनिवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + nivṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नित्यकर्मणः निवृत्तिः = cessation of daily duties)

• स्यात्: may occur/be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (whose)

• पुंसः: of a man
• पुंसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अवशात्मनः: of one with an uncontrolled/helpless self
• अवशात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अवशः आत्मा यस्य = one whose self is helpless/uncontrolled)

• तेन: thereby, for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तेन कारणेन (thereby/for that reason)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार (also/even)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक

• विधातव्यम्: should be performed
• विधातव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √dhā (धा) (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता

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

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Agastya (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim, restrained by guards or burdened by hardship, is released and approaches a priest at Ayodhyā to perform expiation for missed daily rites; the scene emphasizes compassion and renewal.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even involuntary lapses in duty are to be healed through dharmic correction—prāyaścitta preserves spiritual integrity amid hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is again indicated by “atra,” as a fitting setting for rectifying missed nitya-karmas through expiation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta is prescribed for nitya-karma-nivṛtti (lapse of daily rites), even when caused by compulsion.