Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कृते पापेऽनुतापो वै यस्य स्कन्द प्रजायते । रुद्राराधनतोऽन्यच्च प्रायश्तित्तं परं न हि

Transliteration

kṛte pāpe'nutāpo vai yasya skanda prajāyate | rudrārādhanato'nyacca prāyaśtittaṃ paraṃ na hi

Translation

ഹേ സ്കന്ദാ, പാപം ചെയ്ത ശേഷം ആരിൽ സത്യമായ അനുതാപം ഉദിക്കുന്നു, അവനു രുദ്രാരാധനയെക്കാൾ പരമായ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം മറ്റൊന്നുമില്ല।

Word by Word

• कृते: when (a sin) has been done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'कृते (सति)' = 'when (it is) done'

• पापे: in/with regard to sin
• पापे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अनुतापः: remorse
• अनुतापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• स्कन्द: O Skanda
• स्कन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/is born
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• रुद्राराधनतः: than/except Rudra-worship
• रुद्राराधनतः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य आराधनम्)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रायश्चित्तम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रायश्चित्तम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

Speaker

Vāsudeva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (directly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A direct address to Skanda: when remorse arises after sin, no expiation surpasses worship of Rudra.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True repentance should culminate in Rudra-worship; devotion to Śiva is presented as the supreme purifier in Puranic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse glorifies Rudrārādhana (Śiva worship) itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudrārādhana—propitiation/worship of Rudra—is stated as the highest prāyaścitta; details of method are not given in this verse.