Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पापं कृत्वा प्रकुर्वंति प्रायश्चित्तं यथोदितम् । हेम यच्छंति वा भूप न तेषां नरको भवेत्

Transliteration

pāpaṃ kṛtvā prakurvaṃti prāyaścittaṃ yathoditam | hema yacchaṃti vā bhūpa na teṣāṃ narako bhavet

Translation

โอ้พระภูปะ ผู้ใดทำบาปแล้วประกอบปรายัศจิตตะตามที่คัมภีร์บัญญัติ หรือถวายทองเป็นทาน ผู้นั้นย่อมไม่ตกนรก

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राय + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रायस्य चित्तम्/प्रायश्चित्तम्)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as/according as)

• उदितम्: prescribed/said
• उदितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदित (प्रातिपदिक; √वद्/√उद् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रायश्चित्तम् इति विशेषणम्

• हेम: gold
• हेम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यच्छन्ति: they give
• यच्छन्ति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; अर्थे—ददति (to give)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be/occur
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma explains that those who commit sin but perform prescribed expiation, or give gold in charity, do not fall into hell.

Characters & Entities

• Prāyaścitta
• Dāna (hema-dāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes moral repair: sincere expiation and charitable giving can neutralize sin’s afterlife consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it continues the tīrtha-centered discourse by highlighting dharmic remedies connected to pilgrimage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing prāyaścitta as prescribed and/or giving hema-dāna (donation of gold).