Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स पापपूरुषो देयो विधिना केन सूतज । कैर्मंत्रैः स हि देयः कैश्चैव ह्युपस्करैः

Transliteration

sa pāpapūruṣo deyo vidhinā kena sūtaja | kairmaṃtraiḥ sa hi deyaḥ kaiścaiva hyupaskaraiḥ

Translation

Wahai putera Sūta, menurut tatacara apakah ‘pāpa-pūruṣa’ (jelmaan dosa) itu harus diserahkan? Dengan mantra-mantra yang mana ia harus diserahkan, dan dengan alat serta bahan apakah?

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पापपूरुषः: the sinful person (personification of sin)
• पापपूरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (पापः पुरुषः)

• देयः: should be given
• देयः: Karya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be given’)

• विधिना: by what procedure/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• केन: by which
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य जः)

• कैः: by which (plural)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/हेतौ (‘indeed/for’)

• देयः: is to be given
• देयः: Karya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता-अर्थक

• कैः: by which (plural)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• उपस्करैः: with implements/ritual requisites
• उपस्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpāleśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest prepares a small effigy labeled as pāpa-pūruṣa, surrounded by ritual implements—water pot, kuśa grass, lamps, incense—while sages ask about mantras.

Characters & Entities

• Pāpa-pūruṣa
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation in Purāṇic dharma is not vague; it is framed as a disciplined rite with mantra and proper method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises within the Kāpāleśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It directly asks for the vidhāna (procedure), mantras, and upaskaras (ritual items) for performing pāpa-pūruṣa-dāna.