Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तत्रोपाया विनाशाय तस्य संपरिकीर्तिताः । तानहं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुष्व नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tatropāyā vināśāya tasya saṃparikīrtitāḥ | tānahaṃ te pravakṣyāmi śṛṇuṣva nṛpasattama

Translation

สำหรับบาปสามประการนั้น อุบายเพื่อทำลายได้ประกาศไว้โดยพิสดารแล้ว เราจักกล่าวแก่ท่าน—จงสดับเถิด โอ้พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐยิ่ง

Word by Word

• तत्र: there/in that regard
• तत्र: Deśa/Prakaraṇa (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there/in that matter)

• उपायाः: remedies/means
• उपायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of that (sin)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• सम्परिकीर्तिताः: have been fully described
• सम्परिकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pari-√kīrt (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तान्: those (remedies)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall tell/explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—नृपाणां सत्तमः (श्रेष्ठः) (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rohitāśva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya raises a hand in teaching gesture, as if about to enumerate steps; Rohitāśva leans forward attentively; a scroll/palm-leaf list is visible, hinting at upcoming prescriptions.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rohitāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture provides actionable remedies for moral failure; sincere listening and compliance are part of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this verse; it serves as a doctrinal lead-in within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A promise to teach upāyas (remedial practices) is made; the specific prāyaścitta details follow in later verses.