Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यत्पापं ब्रह्महत्यायां मातापित्रोश्च वंचने । तेन पापेन लिप्येहं नागच्छामि पुनर्यदि

Transliteration

yatpāpaṃ brahmahatyāyāṃ mātāpitrośca vaṃcane | tena pāpena lipyehaṃ nāgacchāmi punaryadi

Translation

బ్రహ్మహత్యలో ఉన్న పాపమూ, తల్లిదండ్రులను మోసం చేయడంలో ఉన్న పాపమూ—నేను మళ్లీ రాకపోతే ఆ పాపంతోనే ఇక్కడ నేను లిప్తురాలనగుదును।

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्महत्यायाम्: in brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• मातापित्रोः: of mother and father (parents)
• मातापित्रोः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माता (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वे एकशेष), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वञ्चने: in deceiving
• वञ्चने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापेन: by (that) sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिप्ये: I am tainted
• लिप्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense: ‘I become tainted’)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आगच्छामि: I come
• आगच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

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

Speaker

Nandinī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāghra (tiger)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī pronounces a self-imprecatory oath, invoking the stain of brahmin-slaying and parental deception if she fails to return; the tiger listens, the air heavy with moral consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmahatyā
• Mother
• Father

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow is made sacred by staking one’s moral accountability; truthfulness is treated as a pillar of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya context, but this verse focuses on oath-taking rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the verse uses a śapatha (self-imprecatory oath) as a moral guarantee.