Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तस्मादशुभकर्मापि कर्मणा येन पातकम् । स्वल्पेनापि निहन्त्याशु याति स्वर्गं नरस्ततः

Transliteration

tasmādaśubhakarmāpi karmaṇā yena pātakam | svalpenāpi nihantyāśu yāti svargaṃ narastataḥ

Translation

ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກມົນທິນດ້ວຍອະກຸສົນກຳ ຖ້າໂດຍການກະທຳໃດໜຶ່ງສາມາດທຳລາຍບາບໄດ້ໄວ ແມ່ນແຕ່ດ້ວຍຄວາມພະຍາຍາມນ້ອຍໆ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນກໍໄປສະຫວັນ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• अशुभकर्म: an evil deed
• अशुभकर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (अशुभं कर्म)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (even)

• कर्मणा: by an act
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (instrument/means)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वल्पेन: with a little (effort/means)
• स्वल्पेन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental: with a little)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवादबोधक-अव्यय (even)

• निहन्ति: destroys
• निहन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु) उपसर्ग-नि
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/शीघ्रताबोधक-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: then/from that)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (continuing, as part of the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful pilgrim performs a simple yet potent act—offering water, japa, or a small dāna—while a dark cloud of sin disperses, revealing a bright path upward.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Svarga
• Pātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes transformation: sincere corrective action can rapidly neutralize sin and redirect one toward svarga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it prepares the ground for naming a particular vrata/niyama/tīrtha in the next request.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general notion of pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction) through a dharmic act; the specific practice is asked for subsequently.