Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तैर्यथोक्तैश्च कर्मजं पातकं व्रजेत् । धर्मशास्त्रैः परिप्रोक्तं यतः सर्वैर्महामुने

Transliteration

prāyaścittairyathoktaiśca karmajaṃ pātakaṃ vrajet | dharmaśāstraiḥ pariproktaṃ yataḥ sarvairmahāmune

Translation

എന്നാൽ കർമജന്യമായ പാതകം ശാസ്ത്രോക്ത പ്രായശ്ചിത്തങ്ങളാൽ നീങ്ങുന്നു; കാരണം ഇത് എല്ലാ ധർമ്മശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളിലും പൂർണ്ണമായി ഉപദേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു, ഹേ മഹാമുനേ.

Word by Word

• prāyaścittaiḥ: by expiations
• prāyaścittaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (by expiations)

• yathoktaiḥ: as prescribed
• yathoktaiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā + ukta (कृदन्त; √vac)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (as stated/prescribed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• karmajam: deed-born
• karmajam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karma + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (arising from action)

• pātakam: sin/offence
• pātakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vrajet: should depart/be removed
• vrajet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharmaśāstraiḥ: by dharma-śāstras
• dharmaśāstraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (by dharma-texts)

• pariproktaṃ: has been fully declared
• pariproktaṃ: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + pra + vac (धातु) → prokta (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘fully proclaimed’

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय; yad)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal conjunction: because)

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (by all)

• mahāmune: O great sage
• mahāmune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘O great sage’

Speaker

Kāma (Kāmadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahāmuni (great sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great sage is addressed: action-born sin is removed by prescribed expiations, as taught across Dharmaśāstras—depict a teacher pointing to palm-leaf texts while instructing a penitent.

Characters & Entities

• prāyaścitta
• Dharmaśāstra
• mahāmune

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deeds require disciplined correction: bodily wrongdoing is purified through prāyaścitta aligned with Dharmaśāstra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides dharmic doctrine within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (prescribed penances/expiations) for karmaja (action-born) pātaka.