Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि यत्किंचिद्दुष्कृतं भवेत् । प्रायश्चित्तं विधातव्यं तन्नाशाय प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

ajñānājjñānato vāpi yatkiṃcidduṣkṛtaṃ bhavet | prāyaścittaṃ vidhātavyaṃ tannāśāya prayatnataḥ

Translation

അജ്ഞാനത്താലോ അറിഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ടോ ഏതെങ്കിലും ദുഷ്കൃത്യം സംഭവിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, അതിന്റെ നാശത്തിനായി പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം നിർവ്വഹിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause: ‘from/through ignorance’)

• ज्ञानतः: knowingly
• ज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘knowingly/from knowledge’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: ‘also/even’)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: ‘whatever’)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: kiṃcid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite: ‘something/any’)

• दुष्कृतम्: wrong deed, sin
• दुष्कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dus-kṛta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; उपसर्ग-तत्पुरुष (दुष् + कृत)

• भवेत्: may occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• विधातव्यम्: should be performed
• विधातव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √dhā (धा) (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता (to be done/should be performed)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (of that)

• नाशाय: for destruction
• नाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (dative of purpose: ‘for destruction’)

• प्रयत्नतः: earnestly
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb): ‘with effort/earnestly’

Speaker

Agastya (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (general kṣetra-dharma)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reflects with remorse after a lapse; a priest/sage instructs prāyaścitta—fasting, japa, and charity—near a temple courtyard; the mood is sober, corrective, and purifying.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires accountability: wrongdoing—intentional or not—should be cleansed through proper prāyaścitta.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is given within Ayodhyā Māhātmya, implying purification practices are especially meaningful in this sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is prescribed as the remedy to destroy the effects of duṣkṛta.