Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पापस्य मम प्रब्रूहि पृच्छतोऽत्र यथातथम् । अत्र मे संशयो जातस्तस्माच्छीघ्रं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

pāpasya mama prabrūhi pṛcchato'tra yathātatham | atra me saṃśayo jātastasmācchīghraṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

Dis-moi en toute vérité, comme je te le demande ici, au sujet de mon péché. Un doute s’est levé en moi ; c’est pourquoi déclare-le sans tarder.

Word by Word

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रब्रूहि: tell; declare
• प्रब्रूहि: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of me who am asking' (genitive absolute-like)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• यथातथम्: exactly as it is
• यथातथम्: Manner (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + तथा (अव्यय; components)
• Form: अव्यय-समासः (द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर) 'as it is, truly'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic form

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• जातः: has arisen
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'arisen'

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; 'therefore'

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Manner (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणार्थे अव्ययीभूतम् (adverb)

• प्रकीर्तय: proclaim; state
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Son (seeking certainty about karmic consequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of the son’s earnest face as he presses for a truthful answer; the father’s gaze is steady, poised to deliver a decisive teaching. The composition emphasizes tension between doubt and clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual progress begins with honest self-examination and a sincere request for truth about one’s actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse; it serves the doctrinal dialogue within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on truthful clarification rather than a stated rite.