Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विडंबितेन चानेन कृतप्रतिकृतं कृतम् । तस्मान्न चास्य दोषः स्याद्यतः प्रोक्तं मुनीश्वरैः

Transliteration

viḍaṃbitena cānena kṛtapratikṛtaṃ kṛtam | tasmānna cāsya doṣaḥ syādyataḥ proktaṃ munīśvaraiḥ

Translation

വഞ്ചിക്കപ്പെട്ട ഈ വ്യക്തി തനിക്കു ചെയ്തതിനു പ്രതികാരമായി പ്രതിക്രിയ ചെയ്തു. അതിനാൽ അവനിൽ ദോഷം വരരുത്; മുനീശ്വരന്മാർ ഇങ്ങനെ തന്നെയാണ് പ്രസ്താവിച്ചത്.

Word by Word

• विडम्बितेन: by the deceived/one who was mocked
• विडम्बितेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + डम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) विडम्बित; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अनेन: by this (person)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत-प्रतिकृतम्: a counter-act, retaliation
• कृत-प्रतिकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-कृदन्त) + प्रतिकृत (प्रति+कृ-धातोः क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतस्य प्रतिकृतम् / कृतं प्रति कृतम्)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम् (Ablative sg used adverbially: 'therefore')

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दोषः: fault, blame
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be, should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal adverb: 'because/wherefrom')

• प्रोक्तम्: was stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense/कर्मणि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• मुनीश्वरैः: by the lords among sages
• मुनीश्वरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनाम् ईश्वराः)

Speaker

Narrative context (Didactic justification citing muni-authority; likely within Sūta’s narration or a dharma debate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of sages pronounces a verdict: the deceived person stands with humility; elders raise hands in assurance that no fault attaches; the atmosphere shifts from accusation to calm resolution.

Characters & Entities

• Munis (munīśvarāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic ethics can treat proportional counter-action as blameless when grounded in established dharma and sage testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this single verse; it supports the narrative’s moral framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is a dharma-justification citing munis.