Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

एकोऽपराधः क्षंतव्यो मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । क्षमां कुरु दयासिंधो युष्मच्छिष्येऽत्र दुर्दमे

Transliteration

eko'parādhaḥ kṣaṃtavyo munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ | kṣamāṃ kuru dayāsiṃdho yuṣmacchiṣye'tra durdame

Translation

«Une seule faute doit être pardonnée par les sages qui voient la vérité. Ô océan de compassion, accorde ici le pardon à Durdama, ton disciple indomptable.»

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• aparādhaḥ: offense
• aparādhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kṣantavyaḥ: should be forgiven
• kṣantavyaḥ: Kriya (Predicative obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣam (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be forgiven’

• munibhiḥ: by sages
• munibhiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• tattva-darśibhiḥ: by truth-seeing (sages)
• tattva-darśibhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + darśin (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying munibhiḥ)

• kṣamām: forgiveness
• kṣamām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• kuru: do/show
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• dayā-sindho: O ocean of compassion
• dayā-sindho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dayā (प्रातिपदिक) + sindhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• yuṣmat-śiṣye: in/with your disciple
• yuṣmat-śiṣye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• durdame: hard to restrain/unyielding
• durdame: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durdama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yuṣmat-śiṣye)

Speaker

Rāmāḥ (the women)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women advocate for Durdama, identifying him as the sage’s disciple; the sage is portrayed as a truth-seer weighing justice and mercy; a calm, luminous atmosphere suggests śānta-rasa.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Durdama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True wisdom expresses itself as forgiveness; punishment is not the only dharmic response to wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-kṣetra framework is implicit; the verse itself teaches interpersonal dharma within that sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical request for kṣamā (forgiveness).