Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अथवा पार्थिवो ज्ञात्वा कुरुते तस्य निग्र हम् । तेन शुद्धिमवाप्रोति यद्यपि स्यात्स किल्विषी

Transliteration

athavā pārthivo jñātvā kurute tasya nigra ham | tena śuddhimavāproti yadyapi syātsa kilviṣī

Translation

หรือเมื่อพระราชาทรงทราบแล้วทรงลงโทษเขา ด้วยการลงทัณฑ์อันชอบธรรมนี้ เขาย่อมได้ความบริสุทธิ์ แม้แท้จริงจะเป็นผู้มีบาปก็ตาม

Word by Word

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or/alternatively)

• pārthivaḥ: the king/ruler
• pārthivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive): 'having known'

• kurute: does/inflicts
• kurute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular; Ātmanepada)

• tasya: of him/on him
• tasya: Sampradāna/Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (on him/of him)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• nigraham: punishment/restraint
• nigraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• tena: by that/thereby
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

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

• avāpnoti: obtains
• avāpnoti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Concessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• syāt: may be/is
• syāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• kilviṣī: sinful/guilty
• kilviṣī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kilviṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king seated in judgment, attendants present; the offender stands with bowed head; the scene is solemn, emphasizing justice as cleansing—light falling on the scales/rod of law (daṇḍa) rather than violence.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rājā (king)
• Rohitāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Just governance and lawful punishment can serve as a form of expiation, restoring moral order and the offender’s purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acceptance of rightful royal punishment (nigraha/daṇḍa) is presented as a means of purification.