Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अद्यप्रभृति यः कश्चिद्विनाशं नीयते क्वचित् । ब्राह्मणो वाऽथवाऽन्योऽपि तद्भवेन्मम पातकम्

Transliteration

adyaprabhṛti yaḥ kaścidvināśaṃ nīyate kvacit | brāhmaṇo vā'thavā'nyo'pi tadbhavenmama pātakam

Translation

ตั้งแต่วันนี้เป็นต้นไป หากผู้ใดที่ใดก็ตามถูกนำไปสู่ความพินาศ ไม่ว่าพราหมณ์หรือผู้อื่น ขอให้บาปนั้นตกเป็นของข้าพเจ้า

Word by Word

• अद्य-प्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्य-प्रभृति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय (from today onwards)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• विनाशम्: destruction
• विनाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• नीयते: is led (to)
• नीयते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is led’

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikaraṇa (Indefinite location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चितवाचक (somewhere/at some time)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विकल्पित कर्ता

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or else)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विकल्पित कर्ता

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय/निर्देश (that)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Kuśa (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly context implied (vipras/elders)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kuśa (or the royal figure) stands upright, right hand raised in oath; behind him citizens and brāhmaṇas look reassured; a symbolic scale of justice appears faintly, indicating moral resolve.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• pātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True leadership accepts karmic responsibility and commits to preventing harm to any being under one’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow-like declaration (self-imposed moral accountability) is expressed, not a formal ritual.