Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

तत्रतत्र द्विजैः सर्वै र्निंदितोऽसौ महात्मभिः । व्यासं शरणमापेदे प्रायश्चित्तचिकीर्षया

Transliteration

tatratatra dvijaiḥ sarvai rniṃdito'sau mahātmabhiḥ | vyāsaṃ śaraṇamāpede prāyaścittacikīrṣayā

Translation

De lieu en lieu, il fut blâmé par tous les dvijas, ces âmes magnanimes. Désireux d’accomplir le prāyaścitta, l’expiation, il chercha refuge auprès de Vyāsa.

Word by Word

• तत्रतत्र: here and there
• तत्रतत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (distributive adverb: here and there)

• द्विजैः: by the twice-born
• द्विजैः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental pl)

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental pl); विशेषण (to dvijaiḥ)

• निन्दितः: censured
• निन्दितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्द् (धातु) → निन्दित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nom sg); कर्मणि (having been censured)

• असौ: that man (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative sg)

• महात्मभिः: by great-souled ones
• महात्मभिः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental pl)

• व्यासम्: Vyāsa
• व्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative sg)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative sg); गत्यर्थे द्वितीया (as refuge)

• आपेदे: took resort to / approached
• आपेदे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg); आत्मनेपद

• प्रायश्चित्तचिकीर्षया: with the desire to perform expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तचिकीर्षया: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त + चिकीर्षा (कृदन्त-इच्छार्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental sg); समासः तत्पुरुष (prāyaścittasya cikīrṣā)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, likely Sūta-style narration within Setukhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśvatthāman, repeatedly turned away by brāhmaṇas, finally resolves to seek Vyāsa; he stands at a crossroads with distant mountains hinted, hands clasped in surrender.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvatthāman (implied)
• Vyāsa
• Dvija (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For grave wrongdoing, one must approach a genuine spiritual authority and accept prescribed prāyaścitta rather than seeking mere social acceptance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised in this verse; it narrates movement across places and the turn toward Vyāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta is mentioned in principle (the intent to perform expiation), without details in this line.