Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

दुष्कृतोपार्जितस्या तः प्रायाश्चित्तं हि तत्क्षणात् । कर्तव्यं विधिवद्विप्राः सर्वपापोपशांतये

Transliteration

duṣkṛtopārjitasyā taḥ prāyāścittaṃ hi tatkṣaṇāt | kartavyaṃ vidhivadviprāḥ sarvapāpopaśāṃtaye

Translation

Ainsi, pour le péché amassé par les mauvaises actions, l’expiation doit être entreprise sur-le-champ et selon la règle, ô brāhmaṇas, afin d’apaiser toutes les fautes.

Word by Word

• दुष्कृत: evil deed, sin
• दुष्कृत: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (genitive singular neuter used as prior member)

• उपार्जितस्य: acquired/earned
• उपार्जितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आर्ज् (धातु) → उपार्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘दुष्कृतोपार्जितस्य’ इति समासे उत्तरपद-रूपेण

• अतः: therefore, from that
• अतः: Discourse (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation, atonement
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विधेय/कर्म-रूपेण

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (सप्तमी/तत्-सम्बन्धे) → ‘तत्क्षण’ + पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् कालवाचक प्रयोग (ablative of time: ‘from that moment’)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done, obligatory
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate: ‘is to be done’)

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘विधिना यथा’

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Qualifier (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• पाप: sin
• पाप: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासमध्यपद-रूपेण

• उपशान्तये: for the pacification/cessation
• उपशान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-शम् (धातु) → उपशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (dative of purpose)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn assembly of brāhmaṇas in a Himalayan tīrtha setting receives instruction on immediate, rule-bound expiation; a Śiva-liṅga shrine and river/stream suggest purification.

Characters & Entities

• Viprāḥ (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prompt, rule-based atonement restores inner and social order; delay deepens the karmic burden.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting contextualizes the teaching, but no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immediate prāyaścitta performed vidhivat (as per injunction) is prescribed, though the exact rite is not specified here.