Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्माच्च क्षम्यतां मह्यं यतश्च वरणं कृतम् । एतेषामेव विप्राणामग्निष्टोमकृते मया

Transliteration

tasmācca kṣamyatāṃ mahyaṃ yataśca varaṇaṃ kṛtam | eteṣāmeva viprāṇāmagniṣṭomakṛte mayā

Translation

Ainsi, pardonnez-moi, car j’ai fait le choix des prêtres pour le sacrifice Agniṣṭoma parmi ces mêmes brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (ablative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्षम्यताम्: may (I) be forgiven
• क्षम्यताम्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः — ‘let (me) be forgiven’

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/यद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (causal relative adverb) — ‘since/because’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• वरणम्: selection/choosing
• वरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (done/made)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) — emphasis

• विप्राणाम्: of the brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• अग्निष्टोम-कृते: for the Agniṣṭoma (sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोम-कृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agniṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (अग्निष्टोमस्य कृते = for Agniṣṭoma); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: local dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (Nāgara brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The patron, contrite, requests forgiveness from the local brāhmaṇas for having chosen priests for an Agniṣṭoma from among others; the elders deliberate, poised to grant pardon.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nāgara brāhmaṇas (addressed)
• Vipra
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When ritual protocol is violated, repentance and seeking forgiveness from those wronged is itself a dharmic act that restores harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The plea occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-centered tīrtha narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references the Agniṣṭoma yajña and frames a corrective step: asking pardon for improper or uninformed priest-selection.