Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

कुकृतं यत्कृतं किंचिदज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतोऽपि वा । प्रायश्चित्तं कृतं देव ममार्घ्यश्च प्रगृह्यताम्

Transliteration

kukṛtaṃ yatkṛtaṃ kiṃcidajñānājjñānato'pi vā | prāyaścittaṃ kṛtaṃ deva mamārghyaśca pragṛhyatām

Translation

Quelque faute que j’aie commise—par ignorance ou même en connaissance—l’expiation (prāyaścitta) a été accomplie. Ô Seigneur, daigne aussi accepter mon arghya.

Word by Word

• कुकृतम्: wrongdoing
• कुकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुकृत (प्रातिपदिक; कु- + कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘evil deed’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relativizer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• कृतम्: done (act)
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाण (indefinite ‘something’)

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानतः: knowingly
• ज्ञानतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञानतः (अव्यय; ज्ञान-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘knowingly’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle: even/also)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘has been done’ (elliptic finite sense)

• देव: O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अर्घ्यः: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• प्रगृह्यताम्: may (it) be accepted
• प्रगृह्यताम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आज्ञार्थे ‘let it be accepted’

Speaker

Devotee/vratin (as voiced within the ritual instructions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee stands with bowed head after offering arghya, palms joined, eyes moist with remorse; the Sun’s rays fall gently, suggesting forgiveness and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Sūrya implied)
• Prāyaścitta
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes humility: acknowledge faults, perform expiation, and seek divine acceptance with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is devotional and ritual in focus; the tīrtha context is chapter-level, not named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prayer of atonement (prāyaścitta) and a request that the deity accept the arghya offering.