Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि सुरां चेद्ब्राह्मणः पिबेत् । अग्निवर्णं घृतं पीत्वा तावन्मात्रंविशु ध्यति

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | ajñānājjñānato vāpi surāṃ cedbrāhmaṇaḥ pibet | agnivarṇaṃ ghṛtaṃ pītvā tāvanmātraṃviśu dhyati

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణులు పలికిరి—అజ్ఞానముచేత గాని తెలిసికొని గాని బ్రాహ్మణుడు సురను త్రాగితే, అగ్నివర్ణమైన నెయ్యిని అంతే మోతాదులో త్రాగినచో శుద్ధి పొందును।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance; out of ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञानतः: knowingly; from knowledge
• ज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: 'from/through knowledge')

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• सुराम्: liquor
• सुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्निवर्णम्: fire-colored
• अग्निवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of घृतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (agnivarṇa = 'fire-colored')

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having drunk'

• तावन्मात्रम्: that much (only)
• तावन्मात्रम्: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (tāvanmātra = 'just that much')

• विशुध्यति: becomes purified
• विशुध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग: वि-

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (council of learned brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of brāhmaṇas pronounces an expiation: a brāhmaṇa who drank surā is to drink a measured quantity of ghee heated until it glows like fire; the atmosphere is austere, juridical, and purificatory.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma provides a path of restoration: even serious faults are met with defined expiation aimed at purification and moral reintegration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents a dharmaśāstra-style expiation within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prāyaścitta is prescribed: drinking ghee heated until it is “fire-colored” (agnivarṇaṃ ghṛtam), in the stated measure (“tāvanmātram”).