Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

मयाथ धर्मशास्त्रज्ञः कश्चित्पृष्टो द्विजोत्तमः । प्रायश्चित्तं यथोक्तं मे वद मातृनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

mayātha dharmaśāstrajñaḥ kaścitpṛṣṭo dvijottamaḥ | prāyaścittaṃ yathoktaṃ me vada mātṛniṣevaṇāt

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ധർമ്മശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞനായ ഒരു ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണനോട് ഞാൻ ചോദിച്ചു—‘അജ്ഞാനവശാൽ നടന്ന മാതൃസേവനത്തിനുള്ള ശാസ്ത്രോക്ത പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം എനിക്ക് പറയുക.’

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुष-प्रातिपदिक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• धर्मशास्त्रज्ञः: knower of dharmaśāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मशास्त्र + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मशास्त्रस्य ज्ञः = knower of dharmaśāstra)

• कश्चित्: someone/a certain (person)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (one who was asked)

• द्विजोत्तमः: best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः द्विजः = best of the twice-born)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• यथोक्तम्: as prescribed/said
• यथोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (as stated)

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (enclitic form)

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

• मातृनिषेवणात्: from (the act of) serving one’s mother
• मातृनिषेवणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातुः निषेवणम् = service/attendance of mother)

Speaker

An afflicted man (the repentant narrator within the tīrtha-māhātmya dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An afflicted man approaches an elderly learned brāhmaṇa seated on a kuśa mat, palm-leaf texts nearby; the seeker bows and asks for expiation for the mistaken act.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• dharmaśāstra
• prāyaścitta
• mātṛniṣevaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When wrongdoing is realized, one should seek dharma-guided counsel and undertake prescribed expiation rather than hide the fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the broader chapter belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya context where purification is linked to sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse explicitly asks for prāyaścitta (expiation) according to dharmaśāstra; the details are given later.