Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

मनस्तापेन शुध्येत मतमेतन्मनीषिणाम् । त्वया तु मनसा द्रोहः कृतो रामकृते यतः

Transliteration

manastāpena śudhyeta matametanmanīṣiṇām | tvayā tu manasā drohaḥ kṛto rāmakṛte yataḥ

Translation

Par le repentir intérieur, on se purifie : telle est l’opinion des sages. Or, dans ton cas, la trahison n’a été commise que dans l’esprit, et elle est née à cause de Rāma.

Word by Word

• मनस्-तापेन: by mental anguish
• मनस्-तापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः तापः)

• शुध्येत: should be purified
• शुध्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मतम्: opinion, doctrine
• मतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मनीषिणाम्: of the wise
• मनीषिणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगतः), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• द्रोहः: treachery, hostility
• द्रोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कृतः: was done
• कृतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• राम-कृते: for Rama's sake
• राम-कृते: Hetu/Prayojana (Purpose/हेतु-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य कृते)

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कारणार्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (conj. 'since/because')

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lakṣmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consoling sage or divine speaker addresses Lakṣmaṇa, emphasizing purification through inner remorse; the setting hints at a boundary-marked sacred precinct (pañcakrośa) with subtle ominous aura affecting minds.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa (addressed implicitly)
• Rāma
• Manastāpa (remorse)
• Dharma teaching of the wise (manīṣiṇām)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification begins inwardly: remorse and self-correction are central, with ritual serving as their dharmic completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching supports the prāyaścitta being performed at Bālamaṇḍana Tīrtha, whose snāna is recommended in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes manastāpa (remorse) as the inner prāyaścitta; the outer prescription remains the tīrtha-snānā already instructed.