Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यमद्य मे नष्टं मद्यपानादसंशयम् । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि तस्मादात्मविशुद्धये

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyamadya me naṣṭaṃ madyapānādasaṃśayam | prāyaścittaṃ kariṣyāmi tasmādātmaviśuddhaye

Translation

“ഇന്ന് മദ്യപാനത്താൽ—സംശയമില്ലാതെ—എന്റെ ബ്രാഹ്മണ്യശുദ്ധി നശിച്ചു; അതുകൊണ്ട് ആത്മശുദ്ധിക്കായി ഞാൻ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ചെയ്യും।”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्यम्: brahminhood, brahmin status
• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

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

• नष्टम्: lost, destroyed
• नष्टम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः (is destroyed/lost)

• मद्य-पानात्: from drinking liquor
• मद्य-पानात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मद्यस्य पानम्)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थे)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: without doubt)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation, penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (therefore/from that)

• आत्म-विशुद्धये: for self-purification
• आत्म-विशुद्धये: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः विशुद्धिः)

Speaker

The man/brāhmaṇa (character within the narrative; exact name not given in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The man’s anger subsides into solemn determination; hands join briefly in resolve, eyes lowered. The courtesan stands aside. A faint suggestion of dawn or a distant temple silhouette hints at the coming act of expiation/pilgrimage.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging fault and undertaking expiation is presented as the dhārmic path to restore inner purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it belongs to a tīrthamāhātmya chapter where purification is a central theme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is declared as the intended remedy, though the specific method is given later.