Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

राम उवाच । स्थितेऽस्मिन्मुनिशार्दूले समीपे वत्स लक्ष्मण । अनर्हा निष्कृतिः कर्तुं तस्मादेनं प्रयाचय

Transliteration

rāma uvāca | sthite'sminmuniśārdūle samīpe vatsa lakṣmaṇa | anarhā niṣkṛtiḥ kartuṃ tasmādenaṃ prayācaya

Translation

Rāma said: “Dear Lakṣmaṇa, while this tiger among sages is nearby, it is not fitting to undertake expiation on our own; therefore, request his guidance.”

Word by Word

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्थिते: when (he) is present/standing
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अस्मिन्: in this (situation/place)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिशार्दूले: near the tiger among sages (great sage)
• मुनिशार्दूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनिः इव शार्दूलः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे स्थाननिर्देशः

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वत्स: dear child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मण: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अनर्हा: not appropriate
• अनर्हा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (निष्कृतिः)

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात् = therefore/from that)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रयाचय: request/beg (him)
• प्रयाचय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, composed and authoritative, gestures toward a nearby ascetic sage’s hermitage, instructing Lakṣmaṇa to request guidance rather than act independently.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Mārkaṇḍeya (implied by ‘muniśārdūla’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation and sacred rites are best undertaken with humility and the direction of a qualified sage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the tīrtha connected to the nearby sage’s āśrama; the narrative moves toward that tīrtha’s purifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To seek instruction from the sage before performing niṣkṛti (prāyaścitta).