Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अत्राहं चैव नि र्मुक्तः स्त्रीहत्योद्भवपातकात् । तस्मादत्रैव राजेंद्र तिष्ठामः पंचवासरान्

Transliteration

atrāhaṃ caiva ni rmuktaḥ strīhatyodbhavapātakāt | tasmādatraiva rājeṃdra tiṣṭhāmaḥ paṃcavāsarān

Translation

Here indeed I was freed from the sin that arose from the killing of a woman. Therefore, O best of kings, let us stay right here for five days.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: here)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis: indeed/only)

• निर्मुक्तः: freed, released
• निर्मुक्तः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• स्त्रीहत्योद्भवपातकात्: from the sin arising from woman-killing
• स्त्रीहत्योद्भवपातकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रीहत्या + उद्भव + पातक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास-श्रृङ्खला (determinative chain: 'sin arising from the killing of a woman'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (ablative: from)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative used as 'therefore/from that reason')

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• राजेन्द्र: O king
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (king among kings); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन

• तिष्ठामः: we stay, we remain
• तिष्ठामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पञ्चवासरान्: for five days
• पञ्चवासरान्: Karma (Extent/duration object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् + वासर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical: 'five days'); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as ‘rājendra’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma, humbled, speaks of past wrongdoing and liberation; the group resolves to remain five days, setting up a camp or lodging near the shrine, with a mood of solemn purification.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places function as prāyaścitta (atonement): sincere presence in a powerful kṣetra is presented as capable of lifting grave karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is implied as the ‘here’ where Bhīṣma experienced purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed observance is implied: to remain at the kṣetra for five days (pañca-vāsara), as part of tīrtha-based purification.