Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

नर नारायणौ क्रूरौ पापपंकानुलेपिनौ । एवमेतदिति प्रोक्तौ तौ तदा द्वारमागतौ

Transliteration

nara nārāyaṇau krūrau pāpapaṃkānulepinau | evametaditi proktau tau tadā dvāramāgatau

Translation

“ನರ-ನಾರಾಯಣರು ಕ್ರೂರರು, ಪಾಪದ ಕೆಸರಿನಿಂದ ಲೇಪಿತರಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ” ಎಂದು ಅವರನ್ನು ಹೇಳಿದರು; ನಂತರ ಆ ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ದ್ವಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದರು.

Word by Word

• nara: Nara
• nara: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देशरूपेण)

• nārāyaṇau: (the two) Nārāyaṇa (with Nara)
• nārāyaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; (नर-नारायणौ इत्यर्थे द्विवचन)

• krūrau: cruel/fierce
• krūrau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण (of the two)

• pāpa-paṅka-anulepinau: smeared with the mire of sin
• pāpa-paṅka-anulepinau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + paṅka (प्रातिपदिक) + anulepin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापपङ्केन अनुलेपिनौ = smeared with sinful mire)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘एतत्’ (this)

• iti: thus, saying
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• proktau: were spoken/called
• proktau: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘उक्तौ’

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• dvāram: the door/gate
• dvāram: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āgatau: arrived
• āgatau: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘आगतौ’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gatekeepers or courtiers speak harshly, branding the two visitors as sinful; Nara-Nārāyaṇa arrive at the gate, unshaken, their serenity contrasting with the accusatory crowd.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speaking wrongly of the noble or divine is itself a moral fault; misjudgment becomes a cause for later atonement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya context in which this ethical warning is delivered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights the moral issue (wrong speech/assessment).