Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तस्मान्निःक्षत्रियामुर्वीं यद्यहं न करोमि वै । प्रहारसंख्यया विप्रास्तन्मे स्यात्सर्वपातकम्

Transliteration

tasmānniḥkṣatriyāmurvīṃ yadyahaṃ na karomi vai | prahārasaṃkhyayā viprāstanme syātsarvapātakam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരേ, ആ പ്രഹാരങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണമനുസരിച്ച് ഞാൻ ഭൂമിയെ നിഃക്ഷത്രിയമാക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ, അത് എനിക്ക് സർവ്വപാപജന്യമായ മഹാപതനമായിത്തീരും।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ; “therefore/from that (reason)”

• निःक्षत्रियाम्: devoid of kṣatriyas
• निःक्षत्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः- + क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (urvīm इति विशेष्यस्य)

• उर्वीम्: the earth
• उर्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय (conditional particle)

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

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation)

• करोमि: I do/make
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रहारसंख्यया: by the count/number of blows
• प्रहारसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रहाराणां संख्या)

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (सम्बोधन/कर्ता), बहुवचन; अत्र सम्भोधनार्थे (हे विप्राः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन; “that (act/result)”

• मे: for me; of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; “of me/to me” (genitive enclitic)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सर्वपातकम्: every sin; total sin
• सर्वपातकम्: Karma (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (विधेय), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वं पातकं)

Speaker

Rāma (Jamadagnija/Paraśurāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (addressed: viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce vow is uttered before silent ascetics: a stern figure with raised hand in oath, austere sages seated in a grove, the earth symbolically shown as a battlefield-map, tension between dharma and wrath.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• Kṣatriyas
• Earth (Urvī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes the binding power of pratijñā (vow) and the Purāṇic idea that moral debts, once recognized, demand decisive dharmic resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter but does not itself name the sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction; it states a vow framed as expiation tied to a numerical count (prahāra-saṅkhyā).