Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

जानता यत्कृतं पापं तच्चैवाक्षयतां व्रजेत् । न करोति महीपालो यदि तस्य विनिग्रहम्

Transliteration

jānatā yatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ taccaivākṣayatāṃ vrajet | na karoti mahīpālo yadi tasya vinigraham

Translation

Le péché commis en pleine connaissance s’achemine vers une conséquence inépuisable, si le roi du pays ne retient ni ne châtie cet homme.

Word by Word

• jānatā: knowingly; by a knowing person
• jānatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by one who knows/knowingly)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• kṛtam: done; committed
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-क्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed; surely
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/only)

• akṣayatām: to imperishability; to an undiminishing state
• akṣayatām: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣayatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; गत्यर्थ-क्रियायाः लक्ष्य (to imperishability)

• vrajet: would go; would lead to
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• karoti: does
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahīpālaḥ: the king; ruler
• mahīpālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मह्याः पालः)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• tasya: of him; his
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• vinigraham: restraint; punishment; suppression
• vinigraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-ni-√grah (ग्रह् धातु) + a (घञ्/भाव) / vinigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Hari

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari articulates a stern principle: deliberate sin becomes enduring if the king fails to restrain; imagery can juxtapose compassionate counsel with the firmness of law—king with scepter, scales of justice, and a protected sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (king)
• vinigraha (restraint/punishment)
• akṣaya (inexhaustible)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deliberate sin hardens into lasting consequence; social and royal restraint (vinigraha) is part of dharma’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it provides dharmic governance context within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it discusses ethical-legal restraint rather than a ritual act.