Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एतदेव हि ते ब्रह्मन्प्रायश्चित्तं प्रकीर्तितम् । जनहास्यकरं लोके तव गर्हाकरं परम्

Transliteration

etadeva hi te brahmanprāyaścittaṃ prakīrtitam | janahāsyakaraṃ loke tava garhākaraṃ param

Translation

Inilah sesungguhnya, wahai Brahmana, yang dinyatakan sebagai prāyaścitta (penebusan dosa) bagimu—yang menjadikanmu bahan ketawa orang ramai di dunia dan mendatangkan celaan yang paling berat.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितम्: has been proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रकीर्तितम्’ = proclaimed/declared

• जनहास्यकरम्: causing people’s laughter
• जनहास्यकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन + हास्य + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनस्य हास्यं करोति)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तव: your/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गर्हाकरम्: bringing reproach
• गर्हाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गर्हां करोति)

• परम्: supreme/very great
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/authority voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa (addressed as 'brahman')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ritual arena with a consecrated altar; a Brahmin stands chastened as a speaker pronounces expiation that will bring public ridicule and severe reproach.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (addressed figure, likely Brahmā or a brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True expiation may demand humility and endurance of blame; purification is not always socially comfortable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the māhātmya’s moral-ritual framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies a particular prāyaścitta (expiation) characterized by public ridicule, without detailing a separate rite.