Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अपि पापसमाचारः परदाररतोऽपिच । ब्रह्मघ्नोऽपि सुरापोऽपि स्त्रीहन्ताऽपि विगर्हितः । पूजया चतुरो मासांस्तस्य देवस्य मुच्यते

Transliteration

api pāpasamācāraḥ paradārarato'pica | brahmaghno'pi surāpo'pi strīhantā'pi vigarhitaḥ | pūjayā caturo māsāṃstasya devasya mucyate

Translation

పాపాచారంలో నిమగ్నుడైనా, పరస్త్రీరతుడైనా; బ్రాహ్మణహంతకుడైనా, సురాపానికుడైనా, నిందిత స్త్రీహంతకుడైనా—ఆ దేవుని నాలుగు నెలలు పూజచేస్తే పాపబంధనంనుండి విముక్తుడవుతాడు.

Word by Word

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive/emphatic

• pāpa-samācāraḥ: one of sinful conduct
• pāpa-samācāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (पापः समाचरः/समाचारः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• para-dāra-rataḥ: one attached to another's wife
• para-dāra-rataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (परस्य दारेषु रतः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• brahma-ghnaḥ: slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• brahma-ghnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः घ्नः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• surā-paḥ: drinker of liquor
• surā-paḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā (प्रातिपदिक) + pa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (सुरां पिबति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• strī-hantā: killer of a woman
• strī-hantā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + hantṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः हन्ता), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• vigarhitaḥ: condemned, blameworthy
• vigarhitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√garh (धातु) + vigarhita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective

• pūjayā: by worship
• pūjayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• caturo: four
• caturo: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; modifies māsān

• māsān: months
• māsān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; duration-accusative

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• devasya: of the god (deity)
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• mucyate: is freed, is released
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/मध्यस्थ-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent sinner—symbolically burdened by dark karmic chains—stands before a serene Jalaśāyī/Madhusūdana shrine; over four months the figure becomes luminous as lamps, tulasī, and offerings accumulate, indicating gradual purification.

Characters & Entities

• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu implied)
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained devotion and ritual worship are portrayed as powerful purifiers, capable of freeing even grievous sinners from sin’s bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes the deity and observance (Cāturmāsya pūjā) within the local tīrtha narrative, rather than naming the site here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Four-month worship (Cāturmāsya pūjā) of the deity as a liberating, expiatory practice.