Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तं तु हास्येन यच्च स्मार्तैः प्रकीर्तितम् । विश्वावसोश्च संकल्पं वह्निसाधनसंभवम्

Transliteration

prāyaścittaṃ tu hāsyena yacca smārtaiḥ prakīrtitam | viśvāvasośca saṃkalpaṃ vahnisādhanasaṃbhavam

Translation

Mereka juga melaporkan penebusan (prāyaścitta) yang disebut oleh para Smārta—diucapkan dengan nada mengejek—serta tekad Viśvāvasu yang timbul daripada “sarana api”.

Word by Word

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

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• हास्येन: by laughter / with jest
• हास्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्मार्तैः: by the Smārta authorities
• स्मार्तैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मार्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• प्रकीर्तितम्: proclaimed / stated
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Karma (Predicate participle/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्तय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• विश्वावसोः: of Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (proper name)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संकल्पम्: resolve / intention
• संकल्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वह्निसाधनसंभवम्: arising from the means of fire
• वह्निसाधनसंभवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (सम्+भू-धातु, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वह्निसाधनात् सम्भवम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāstupada

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrators mention a Smārta expiation treated with derision and a resolve involving fire; the sage sits poised to judge; symbolic fire appears as a controlled ritual flame, not a conflagration.

Characters & Entities

• Smārta authorities (smārta)
• Viśvāvasu
• fire (vahni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual prescriptions can be disputed; therefore, right expiation should be grounded in authoritative discernment, not ridicule or hearsay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is now anchored at Vāstupada, a place sought for resolving dharmic uncertainty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta is explicitly mentioned, including a fire-linked means (vahni-sādhana), though the exact procedure is not fully spelled out in this verse.