Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

न स पापेन लिप्येत संवत्सरकृते पुनः । एतत्प्राह द्विजश्रेष्ठा मनुः स्वायंभुवो वचः

Transliteration

na sa pāpena lipyeta saṃvatsarakṛte punaḥ | etatprāha dvijaśreṣṭhā manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo vacaḥ

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେ ପୁନର୍ବାର ଏକ ବର୍ଷ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପାପରେ ଲିପ୍ତ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ; କାରଣ ଏହା ସ୍ୱାୟମ୍ଭୁବ ମନୁଙ୍କ ଉକ୍ତ ଉପଦେଶ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• pāpena: by sin
• pāpena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• lipyeta: would be tainted
• lipyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lip (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारार्थे विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• saṃvatsara-kṛte: in the (period) of a year
• saṃvatsara-kṛte: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃvatsara (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त; कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: संवत्सरस्य कृते); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative singular)

• punaḥ: again; moreover
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनः-भावार्थक (adverb)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Svāyaṃbhuva (self-born)
• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāyaṃbhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

• vacaḥ: speech; statement
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Māhātmya-style narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijaśreṣṭha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa addressed as ‘dvijaśreṣṭha’ listens while a sage recites Manu’s dictum; palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacred fire indicate śāstric authority and transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic vrata-teachings are reinforced by dharmaśāstric authority: right observance protects one from sinful taint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an authoritative endorsement within the Māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse does not restate a specific act; it asserts the sin-removing efficacy of the previously described observances, citing Manu.