Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

येनाहमग्रतो भूत्वा प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये । पुरश्चरणसंज्ञं तु प्रार्थयामि यथाविधि

Transliteration

yenāhamagrato bhūtvā prāyaścittaṃ viśuddhaye | puraścaraṇasaṃjñaṃ tu prārthayāmi yathāvidhi

Translation

ഞാൻ മുൻപിൽ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് ശുദ്ധിക്കായി പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കേണ്ടതിനാൽ, നിയമപ്രകാരം ‘പുരശ്ചരണം’ എന്ന കർമം ഞാൻ അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Instrumental, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative, Singular

• अग्रतः: first; in front
• अग्रतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb) — 'in front/first'

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — Absolutive (having become)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation; penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन — Feminine, Dative, Singular (purpose)

• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञम्: the rite called ‘puraścaraṇa’
• पुरश्चरणसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरश्चरण + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: indeed; however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेष-अव्यय (particle) — 'but/indeed'

• प्रार्थयामि: I request; I seek
• प्रार्थयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present Indicative, 1st person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed method
• यथाविधि: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय (adverb) — 'according to rule'

Speaker

Puṣpa (implied first-person speech continuing from the prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puraścaraṇa-sthāna at the consecrated kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Puṣpa stands before assembled brāhmaṇas, requesting the puraścaraṇa rite; he gestures forward as leader, yet with humility, in a sanctified courtyard with ritual implements laid out.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa
• Puraścaraṇa
• Prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is sought through disciplined, rule-based practice (vidhi), not merely through intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative, where the tīrtha context frames the expiatory rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Puraścaraṇa is explicitly requested as the prescribed expiatory discipline.