Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एष आत्मा मया दत्तस्तव हेममयो द्विज । यत्किंचिद्विहितं पापं पूर्वं भूयात्तवाखिलम्

Transliteration

eṣa ātmā mayā dattastava hemamayo dvija | yatkiṃcidvihitaṃ pāpaṃ pūrvaṃ bhūyāttavākhilam

Translation

“Wahai dwija (yang dua kali lahir), diri ini telah aku serahkan kepadamu dalam rupa emas. Apa jua dosa yang pernah dilakukan dahulu—biarlah semuanya menjadi milikmu.”

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषणम् (आत्मा)

• आत्मा: self/soul (here: this image as self)
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृ/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — given

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular

• हेममयः: made of gold
• हेममयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; तद्धितान्त (मयट्) ‘made of’; विशेषणम् (आत्मा)

• द्विज: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• यत्किंचित्: whatever/any
• यत्किंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् + किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘whatever/anything’; अत्र विशेषणरूपेण (पापम्)

• विहितम्: committed/done
• विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्) — done/committed

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• भूयात्: may be/become
• भूयात्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — may it become/be

• तव: your/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular

• अखिलम्: all/entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्) — entire/all

Speaker

Ritual declarant (the donor/king), as instructed by Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor (king/householder) offers a small golden human-form effigy representing the ‘self’ to a seated brāhmaṇa; ritual vessels, kuśa grass, and a tīrtha backdrop suggest pilgrimage context; the moment is solemn, emphasizing purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation is dramatized as relinquishment of one’s burden through consecrated dāna, expressing remorse and a resolve to be purified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a ritual utterance within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not name the location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal donation declaration: gifting a golden representation of the self and verbally consigning prior sins as part of the expiatory rite.