Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वेश्याया मद्यपात्रं तु मद्यपूर्णं प्रगृह्य च । तस्माद्देहि विभो मह्यं प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये

Transliteration

veśyāyā madyapātraṃ tu madyapūrṇaṃ pragṛhya ca | tasmāddehi vibho mahyaṃ prāyaścittaṃ viśuddhaye

Translation

வெசியையின் மதுவால் நிரம்பிய மதுப் பாத்திரத்தை நான் எடுத்தேன். ஆகவே, ஓ விபோ, என் தூய்மைக்காக எனக்கு பிராயச்சித்தம் அருள்வாயாக.

Word by Word

• veśyāyāḥ: of the courtesan
• veśyāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• madyapātram: a vessel of liquor
• madyapātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madya (प्रातिपदिक) + pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (madya-sya pātram)

• tu: indeed / but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• madyapūrṇam: filled with liquor
• madyapūrṇam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madya (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) madyapātram इति पदस्य; समासः तत्पुरुष (madya-pūrṇa = liquor-filled)

• pragṛhya: having taken
• pragṛhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having taken/after taking’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/Source sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-तद्धित/प्रयोगः; अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vibho: O Lord / O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• mahyam: to me
• mahyam: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• prāyaścittam: expiation
• prāyaścittam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• viśuddhaye: for purification
• viśuddhaye: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

Speaker

Parāvasu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful youth stands before a venerable teacher/elder, holding a wine-filled vessel taken from a courtesan, head bowed, asking for expiation.

Characters & Entities

• Parāvasu
• upādhyāya (guru)
• veśyā (courtesan)
• madya (liquor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after a lapse, dharma provides a remedial path—through sincere repentance and prescribed expiation—toward renewed purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this shloka; it focuses on the request for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The need for prāyaścitta (expiation) is stated, though the specific rite is not given here.