Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मन्पापमजानंत्या मयाचरितमुल्बणम् । यौवने कामचारेण कौटिल्येन प्रवर्तितम्

Transliteration

brahmanpāpamajānaṃtyā mayācaritamulbaṇam | yauvane kāmacāreṇa kauṭilyena pravartitam

Translation

«Ô brāhmaṇa, sans savoir que c’était un péché, j’ai commis dans ma jeunesse une faute terrible, poussée par la conduite de la luxure et par la ruse.»

Word by Word

• brahman: O Brahmin
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ajānantyā: by (me) not knowing
• ajānantyā: Karana (Instrument/Reason/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajānantī (कृदन्त; √jñā/ज्ञा ‘to know’ + नञ्-प्रत्यय ‘a-’ + शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ācaritam: committed/practised
• ācaritam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ācarita (कृदन्त; √car/चर् ‘to do, practice’ उपसर्ग-आ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• ulbaṇam: grave/terrible
• ulbaṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ulbaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• yauvane: in youth
• yauvane: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kāma-cāreṇa: by lustful conduct
• kāma-cāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + cāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कामेन चारः)

• kauṭilyena: by deceit/crookedness
• kauṭilyena: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṭilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (भाववाचक), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• pravartitam: impelled/instigated
• pravartitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravartita (कृदन्त; √vṛt/वृत् ‘to proceed’ उपसर्ग-प्र + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (caused to be set in motion/impelled)

Speaker

The woman pilgrim (confessing to the brāhmaṇa teacher)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇapuṅgava (the foremost brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, human moment: the woman speaks with downcast eyes, one hand on chest (self-acknowledgment), the brāhmaṇa listens with compassionate firmness; symbolic shadows of Kāma (flower-bow) and a serpent-like curve hint at deceit (kauṭilya).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging wrongdoing—without self-justification—is the doorway to repentance and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it occurs within the Gokarṇa pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets up the need for prāyaścitta (atonement) guidance.