Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

परदारोपभोगेन यत्पापं समुपार्जितम् । न तत्क्षालयितुं शक्यं प्रायश्चित्तशतैरपि

Transliteration

paradāropabhogena yatpāpaṃ samupārjitam | na tatkṣālayituṃ śakyaṃ prāyaścittaśatairapi

Translation

Le péché amassé en jouissant de l’épouse d’autrui ne peut être lavé, fût-ce par des centaines d’actes d’expiation.

Word by Word

• परदारोपभोगेन: by the enjoyment of another’s wife
• परदारोपभोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-दार-उपभोग (प्रातिपदिक; पर=अन्यस्य, दार=पत्नी, उपभोग=भोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-करणे

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• समुपार्जितम्: acquired/committed
• समुपार्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+आर्ज् (धातु) → समुपार्जित (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘अर्जितम्’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• तत्: that (sin)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अन्वय-निर्देशक (that)

• क्षालयितुम्: to wash away
• क्षालयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु) → क्षालयितुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; ‘क्षालयितुं’ = शुद्धिं कर्तुम्

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक् धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• प्रायश्चित्तशतैः: by hundreds of expiations
• प्रायश्चित्तशतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त-शत (प्रातिपदिक; प्रायश्चित्त + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; साधन-करणे

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a stern dharma-teacher or narrator gestures toward a symbolic scale of sin; shadowy figures representing illicit union fade into a dark backdrop, while a scroll of 'prāyaścitta' lies ineffective.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that violating another’s marriage is a grave adharma whose stain is extraordinarily difficult to remove, urging strict self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a general dharma-teaching within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is referenced, but the verse emphasizes its insufficiency for this specific wrongdoing.