Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तं मम स्वामिन्देहि सर्वमशेषतः । यन्नरस्य समायोगे परस्याह प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

prāyaścittaṃ mama svāmindehi sarvamaśeṣataḥ | yannarasya samāyoge parasyāha prajāpatiḥ

Translation

‘என் ஸ்வாமி! எனக்கு முழுமையான பிராயச்சித்தத்தை, எதுவும் மீதமின்றி அருளுங்கள்—பிறரின் துணையுடன் அநுசித சேர்க்கைக்கு பிரஜாபதி கூறியதுபோல்.’

Word by Word

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Accusative singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन = Genitive singular

• स्वामिन्: O lord
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन = Vocative singular

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = 2nd person singular; अर्थे: प्रयच्छ (give)

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Accusative singular; विशेषणम् ‘प्रायश्चित्तम्’ (entire)

• अशेषतः: completely
• अशेषतः: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb; ‘completely/without remainder’

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which/what)

• नरस्य: of a man
• नरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन = Genitive singular

• समायोगे: in union/association
• समायोगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समायोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = Locative singular; अवस्थावाचक (in union/association)

• परस्य: of another
• परस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन = Genitive singular; विशेषणम् ‘नरस्य’ (of another)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = 3rd person singular; अर्थे: उवाच (said)

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Nominative singular

Speaker

The woman/petitioner (addressing Gautama Ṛṣi)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A direct plea: the woman, hands folded, addresses Gautama as ‘svāmin’, requesting full atonement; the scene is didactic—teacher and supplicant—framed by hermitage austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by acknowledging wrongdoing and seeking a complete, tradition-rooted prāyaścitta rather than minimizing the fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site is named in this verse; it frames the ethical need for purification that will be fulfilled through vows and tīrtha-journeying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests prāyaścitta generally and cites Prajāpati’s rule; the specific rites are enumerated by Gautama in the following verses.