Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

निवेद्य ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां तदुक्तं च समाचरेत् । प्रायश्चित्तं यथोक्तं तु ततः शुद्धिमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

nivedya brāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ taduktaṃ ca samācaret | prāyaścittaṃ yathoktaṃ tu tataḥ śuddhimavāpnuyāt

Translation

เมื่อได้สารภาพต่อพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐแล้ว พึงประพฤติตามที่ท่านกล่าวสั่ง และเมื่อประกอบปรायัศจิตตะตามที่บอกไว้แล้ว ย่อมบรรลุความบริสุทธิ์

Word by Word

• nivedya: having reported/submitted
• nivedya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having informed/submitted'

• brāhmaṇa-indrāṇām: of the chiefs among Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-indrāṇām: Sampradāna/Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (to/of the chiefs/सम्प्रदान-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'brāhmaṇānām indraḥ' (chief among Brahmins)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• uktam: what is prescribed/said
• uktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'what is said' (quoted instruction)

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

• samācaret: should practice/perform
• samācaret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular)

• prāyaścittam: expiation
• prāyaścittam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: as/according to)

• uktam: prescribed/said
• uktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle)

• tataḥ: thereafter/from that
• tataḥ: Apādāna/Hetu (From that/thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: 'thereafter/from that')

• śuddhim: purity
• śuddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• avāpnuyāt: should obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble offender kneeling before a circle of venerable brāhmaṇas; one elder raises a hand in instruction while a palm-leaf text rests nearby; the offender holds a water-pot and kusa grass, ready for prescribed rites.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇas (elders/authorities)
• Rohitāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification requires humility, disclosure before dharmic authorities, and disciplined follow-through of prescribed expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse focuses on dharmic procedure rather than a named sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Confession to learned brāhmaṇas and performance of the prāyaścitta exactly as instructed.