Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

निषादा ऊचुः । अज्ञानात्कृतपापानामस्माकं क्षन्तुमर्हसि । किं वा कार्यं प्रियं तेऽद्य तदाज्ञापय सुव्रत

Transliteration

niṣādā ūcuḥ | ajñānātkṛtapāpānāmasmākaṃ kṣantumarhasi | kiṃ vā kāryaṃ priyaṃ te'dya tadājñāpaya suvrata

Translation

Les Niṣādas dirent : Pardonne-nous, nous qui avons commis des fautes par ignorance. Quel service agréable veux-tu que nous accomplissions aujourd’hui pour toi ? Ordonne-nous, ô toi aux vœux nobles.

Word by Word

• niṣādāḥ: the Niṣādas (fisherfolk)
• niṣādāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु; परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• ajñānāt: out of ignorance
• ajñānāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु-अपादान), एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• kṛta-pāpānām: of us who have committed sin
• kṛta-pāpānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुवचन, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), पुंलिङ्ग (asmākam-सम्बन्धेन); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (kṛta) + तत्पुरुषः — “having done sins”

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• kṣantum: to forgive
• kṣantum: Prayojana (Purpose; complement of arhasi)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣam (क्षमुँ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive) — “to forgive”

• arhasi: you ought; you are fit
• arhasi: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (अर्ह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (2nd person singular); परस्मैपद

• kim: what
• kim: Karman (Object; of ājñāpaya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative; here as object)

• vā: or; rather
• vā: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• kāryam: task; thing to be done
• kāryam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here as interrogated object)

• priyam: dear; pleasing
• priyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; kāryam-विशेषण

• te: for you; to you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन (Dative singular)

• adya: today; now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• tat: that
• tat: Karman (Object; of ājñāpaya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ājñāpaya: command; tell
• ājñāpaya: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + णिच् (causative ājñāpayati)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (2nd person singular); परस्मैपद; णिच्

• suvrata: O virtuous one
• suvrata: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vrata (प्रातिपदिक; su + vrata)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — “good-vowed/virtuous one”

Speaker

Niṣādas (fisherfolk)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of fishermen kneel with folded hands before the radiant sage, faces softened by remorse. One spokesman pleads for forgiveness and asks what service to perform; the sage stands calm, embodying kṣamā and authority.

Characters & Entities

• Niṣādas
• Āpastamba

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging wrongdoing, seeking forgiveness, and offering service are dharmic steps toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The repentance scene occurs within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse models confession, seeking kṣamā (forgiveness), and offering sevā.