Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

येन शुद्धिमवाप्नोति त्वदोष्ठास्वादने कृते । स्पर्शिताभ्यां स्तनाभ्यां च प्रायश्चित्तं यतः स्मृतम्

Transliteration

yena śuddhimavāpnoti tvadoṣṭhāsvādane kṛte | sparśitābhyāṃ stanābhyāṃ ca prāyaścittaṃ yataḥ smṛtam

Translation

त्वदोष्ठास्वादनं कृत्वा तथा स्तनस्पर्शं च कृत्वा, अनेन शुद्धिरवाप्यते; यतः तत्र प्रायश्चित्तं स्मृतं विहितम्।

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• शुद्धिम्: purification
• शुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन; ‘your’ as compound member

• ओष्ठास्वादने: in the tasting of the lip(s)
• ओष्ठास्वादने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्वादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ओष्ठस्य आस्वादनम्)

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Kriya (Circumstantial/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative absolute ‘when done’

• स्पर्शिताभ्याम्: by the touched (ones)
• स्पर्शिताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पर्शित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त; नपुंसक/पुं, तृतीया, द्विवचन; Instrumental dual; विशेषणम् स्तनाभ्याम्

• स्तनाभ्याम्: by the breasts
• स्तनाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन; Instrumental dual

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

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• यतः: because/wherefore
• यतः: Sambandha (Causal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय/यद्-तसिल्)
• Form: हेत्वर्थक तसिल्-अव्यय (because/for which reason)

• स्मृतम्: is prescribed
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; passive participle ‘is prescribed/remembered’

Speaker

Unnamed brāhmaṇa (dvija)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A morally charged confession-like instruction: the act is named, and expiation is declared necessary; figures appear solemn, with the maiden’s modesty and the brāhmaṇa’s anxious posture emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (dvija)
• kanyā (maiden)
• prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is treated as a dharmic concern, and transgressive contact is framed as requiring prāyaścitta—restoring order through prescribed means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is not explicitly identified in this verse; it belongs to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is stated as the required prescription after the described act; the detailed procedure is not given in this shloka.