Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तत्तारणार्थाय विप्रकृत्यं समाचर । एतदर्थं मयैतत्ते कृतं कर्म विगर्हितम्

Transliteration

tasmāttattāraṇārthāya viprakṛtyaṃ samācara | etadarthaṃ mayaitatte kṛtaṃ karma vigarhitam

Translation

ଏହେତୁ ତାଙ୍କ ତାରଣାର୍ଥେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣୋଚିତ କ୍ରିୟା ଆଚରଣ କର। ଏହି ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟରେ ମୁଁ ତୋ ପ୍ରତି ଏହି ନିନ୍ଦ୍ୟ କର୍ମ କରିଛି।

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-तद्धित/निपातप्राय प्रयोगः; अपादानार्थक (ablatival adverb)

• tat: of him/that (i.e., of your father)
• tat: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपदम्)

• tāraṇa-arthāya: for the purpose of deliverance
• tāraṇa-arthāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tāraṇasya arthaḥ)

• vipra-kṛtyam: a brahminical act / priestly duty
• vipra-kṛtyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (viprāṇāṃ kṛtyam)

• samācara: perform
• samācara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• etat-artham: this purpose
• etat-artham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (etasya arthaḥ)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘kṛtam’ इत्यस्य कर्म (द्वितीया)

• te: for you / to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘etat’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• karma: act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘etat … kṛtaṃ karma’ इति—‘karma’ मुख्यं, ‘kṛtam’ विशेषणम्

• vigarhitam: blameworthy / censured
• vigarhitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√garh (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘karma’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Viṣṇusena (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devaśarman (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense exchange: the king urges a brāhmaṇa to perform the proper priestly rite for his father’s deliverance, admitting he committed a censurable act for this purpose; gestures show urgency and remorse.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇusena
• Nāgahrada
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when one’s means are flawed, the intention to rescue ancestors through dharma-driven rites is presented as a powerful motive requiring proper ritual correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgahrada remains the implied sacred setting where the deliverance-oriented rite is to be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To perform the viprakṛtya—i.e., the brāhmaṇa-led śrāddha procedure—for the ancestor’s deliverance.