Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्माद्ब्रूत यथार्हं मे प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये । अपि प्राणहरं रौद्रं नो चेत्पापमवाप्स्यथ

Transliteration

tasmādbrūta yathārhaṃ me prāyaścittaṃ viśuddhaye | api prāṇaharaṃ raudraṃ no cetpāpamavāpsyatha

Translation

«Aussi, dites-moi l’expiation qui convient à ma purification, fût-elle farouche et ôtant la vie ; sinon, vous encourrez le péché.»

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-इति तस्मिन् अर्थे), अपादान/हेतु-अर्थे; indeclinable ablatival adverb: “therefore/from that”

• ब्रूत: speak/tell (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थक/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; parasmaipada

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner/comparison adverb “as/according to”

• अर्हम्: properly/as appropriate
• अर्हम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (यथार्हम्); adverbial accusative “as is proper”

• मे: of me / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन; object of ‘ब्रूत’

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative) एकवचन; purpose

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle “even/also”

• प्राणहरम्: life-taking
• प्राणहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रायश्चित्तम्) । समासः: प्राणान् हरति इति (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः)

• रौद्रम्: terrible/fierce
• रौद्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रायश्चित्तम्)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) बहुवचन; enclitic “of us/our”

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conditional particle “if”

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; object of ‘अवाप्स्यथ’

• अवाप्स्यथ: you all will obtain/incur
• अवाप्स्यथ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; parasmaipada

Speaker

Parāvasu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful dvija stands before an assembly of brāhmaṇas, hands folded, requesting a severe expiation; the mood is grave and judicial.

Characters & Entities

• Parāvasu
• prāyaścitta
• dvija (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True repentance is readiness to accept whatever corrective discipline dharma requires, valuing purity over comfort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the ethical-prāyaścitta thread of the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A demand for the “yathārha” (proper) prāyaścitta is made; the exact rite is not specified in this line.