Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अथ प्राह सहस्राक्षो देवाचार्यं बृहस्पतिम् । मातुर्द्रोहकृतं पापं कथं यास्यति संक्ष यम्

Transliteration

atha prāha sahasrākṣo devācāryaṃ bṛhaspatim | māturdrohakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ kathaṃ yāsyati saṃkṣa yam

Translation

Then Sahasrākṣa (Indra) said to Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of the gods: “How will the sin incurred by betraying one’s mother be destroyed?”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (conjunctive particle: 'then/now')

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सहस्राक्षः: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवाचार्यम्: the preceptor of the gods
• देवाचार्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘देवानाम् आचार्यः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• बृहस्पतिम्: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिम्: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मातुः: of (one's) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्रोहकृतम्: committed as treachery
• द्रोहकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रोह + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘द्रोहं कृतम्’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पापम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• यास्यति: will go; will be removed/come to (an end)
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संक्षयम्: destruction; cessation
• संक्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/गति/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सं + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गन्तव्य-रूपेण)

Speaker

Sahasrākṣa (Śakra/Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, humbled, approaches Bṛhaspati in a quiet celestial grove; the guru listens gravely as Indra asks how maternal betrayal can be cleansed.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Śakra)
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the powerful must seek dhārmic guidance; grave wrongdoing requires humility and proper expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question leads into the tīrtha-linked remedy (liṅga worship and related practice) presented later in the same Adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse itself asks about expiation; the following narrative answers through worship and installation of a liṅga.