Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मण उवाच । स्वामिद्रोहे कृते ब्रह्मन्प्रायश्चित्तं यदीक्ष्यते । तन्मे देहि स्फुटं येन कायशुद्धिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

lakṣmaṇa uvāca | svāmidrohe kṛte brahmanprāyaścittaṃ yadīkṣyate | tanme dehi sphuṭaṃ yena kāyaśuddhiḥ prajāyate

Translation

ลักษมณะทูลว่า “ข้าแต่พราหมณ์ หากมีปรายัศจิตที่บัญญัติไว้สำหรับการทรยศต่อเจ้านาย ขอท่านโปรดบอกแก่ข้าพเจ้าให้ชัดเจน เพื่อให้เกิดความบริสุทธิ์แห่งกาย”

Word by Word

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्वामिद्रोहे: in (the matter of) treachery to one’s master
• स्वामिद्रोहे: Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वामिनः द्रोहः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कृते: when (it) has been done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when done)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राय (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रायः चित्तम्/प्रायस्य चित्तम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• ईक्ष्यते: is seen/considered
• ईक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कायशुद्धिः: purification of the body
• कायशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कायस्य शुद्धिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/comes about
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lakṣmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmaṇa, hands folded, addresses the venerable brāhmaṇa-ṛṣi with earnestness, requesting a precise expiation for svāmi-droha and the means to regain purity.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sage (Brahman—addressed to Mārkaṇḍeya)
• Prāyaścitta
• Svāmi-droha (betrayal of one’s lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging fault and sincerely seeking prescribed atonement is itself a dharmic step toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the tīrtha-based expiation that the sage will recommend next (named shortly after).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Requesting and following prāyaścitta for svāmi-droha; the specific rite is given in the subsequent verse(s).