Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अत्र कात्यायनेनोक्तं यद्वचः सुमहात्मना । तच्छृण्वन्तु द्विजाः सर्वे प्रायश्चित्ती तथाप्ययम्

Transliteration

atra kātyāyanenoktaṃ yadvacaḥ sumahātmanā | tacchṛṇvantu dvijāḥ sarve prāyaścittī tathāpyayam

Translation

「ここに、大いなる魂をもつカーティヤーヤナが説いた言葉がある。すべての二度生まれの者よ、それを聞け。しかれども、この件にもまたプラーヤシュチッタ（贖罪法）がある。」

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• कात्यायनेन: by Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• उक्तम्: said; stated
• उक्तम्: Kriya (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु); ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• यत्: which; that
• यत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (‘which/that’)

• वचः: statement; words
• वचः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सुमहात्मना: by the very great-souled (one)
• सुमहात्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास (‘सुमहान् आत्मा यस्य’/‘अतिमहात्मा’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशक (‘that’)

• शृण्वन्तु: let them hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे)

• द्विजाः: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रायश्चित्ती: one who performs expiation; expiatory
• प्रायश्चित्ती: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक) + -in (इन् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (‘one who has expiation/penance’)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Discourse (समुच्चय/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थ (thus; likewise)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Discourse (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• अयम्: this (one/thing)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya (quoted within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sarve dvijāḥ (all twice-born present)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śāṇḍilya shifts from rebuke to instruction, invoking Kātyāyana’s words; brāhmaṇas sit attentively as in a dharma-sabhā, palms joined, ready to hear prāyaścitta.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana
• Śāṇḍilya
• dvijas (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural authority provides structured expiation; dharma offers remedies even for grave situations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage proceeds to glorify Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā in this kṣetra as a direct means of purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is explicitly introduced, with details enumerated in the following verses.