Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । तदर्थमपि मे ब्रूहि प्रायश्चित्तं मुनीश्वर । कदाचिद्भक्षणं मे स्यात्तांबूलस्य तथाविधम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | tadarthamapi me brūhi prāyaścittaṃ munīśvara | kadācidbhakṣaṇaṃ me syāttāṃbūlasya tathāvidham

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മുനീശ്വരാ! അതിനാൽ എനിക്ക് പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം പറഞ്ഞുതരുക; ചിലപ്പോൾ എനിക്കു അങ്ങനെ അനുപയോഗ്യമായ താംബൂലഭക്ഷണം സംഭവിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदर्थम्: the reason for that
• तदर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य अर्थः)

• अपि: also/indeed
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अर्थे निपात (particle)

• मे: my/to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनाम् ईश्वरः)

• कदाचित्: at some time/ever
• कदाचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• भक्षणम्: eating/consumption
• भक्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्रियानाम (ल्युट्-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (enclitic)

• स्यात्: might be/should occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताम्बूलस्य: of betel
• ताम्बूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तथाविधम्: of that kind/such
• तथाविधम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (तथा-प्रकारेण विधः) विशेषण (भक्षणम्-विशेषण)

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munīśvara (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king rises slightly from his seat, hands folded, asking the sage for expiation; the sage sits composed, ready to instruct; a small betel box (tāmbūla-pātra) appears as a prop.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• munīśvara (sage addressed—Nārada in context)
• tāmbūla
• prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes remedies: when faults occur, sincere seeking of prāyaścitta restores inner order and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this line; it prepares for a purificatory instruction typical of Tīrthamāhātmya chapters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The king requests prāyaścitta for an improper tāmbūla act; details are given in the subsequent verses.