Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्मृतयो दूषितास्तेन पुराणानि विशेषतः । स्थानं चैवास्म दीयं च कर्म चैतत्प्रकुर्वता

Transliteration

smṛtayo dūṣitāstena purāṇāni viśeṣataḥ | sthānaṃ caivāsma dīyaṃ ca karma caitatprakurvatā

Translation

โดยเขา สมฤติทั้งหลายถูกทำให้มัวหมอง และโดยเฉพาะปุราณะทั้งหลาย; และผู้กระทำเช่นนี้ได้ทำให้ฐานะอันควรของเรา สิทธิอันพึงได้ของเรา และพิธีกรรมนี้เอง เสื่อมเสียไป

Word by Word

• smṛtayaḥ: Smṛtis (law-texts)
• smṛtayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

• dūṣitāḥ: defiled
• dūṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dūṣita (कृदन्त; √dūṣ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana/Agent (By him/तेन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (common), एकवचन (singular), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd)

• purāṇāni: Purāṇas
• purāṇāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), बहुवचन (plural), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb: especially)

• sthānam: place
• sthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• asma: our / my
• asma: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), एकवचन (singular), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th) — वैदिक/छान्दस रूप ‘asma’ = ‘asmākam/ mama’

• dīyam: to be given (gift-worthy)
• dīyam: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st); ‘to be given/fit to be given’ (dative-worthy)

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

• karma: act/ritual action
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

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

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st)

• prakurvatā: by (one) doing/performing
• prakurvatā: Karana/Agent (By the doer/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc./neut. instr.), एकवचन (singular), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas invoke the authority of Smṛti and Purāṇa, gesturing to manuscripts; the accused figure stands apart. The ‘place’ (sthāna) is suggested by a shrine silhouette or tīrtha marker in the background, indicating that the sanctity of site and rite has been compromised.

Characters & Entities

• Smṛti
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma depends on faithful transmission and proper performance; corrupt practice dishonors both scripture and ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It stresses proper conduct in rites (karma) and prāyaścitta, safeguarding śāstric procedure.