Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अजानता जानता वा यत्पापं तु भवेत्कृतम् । तत्सर्वं नाशयेन्मर्त्यो दानस्यास्य प्रभावतः

Transliteration

ajānatā jānatā vā yatpāpaṃ tu bhavetkṛtam | tatsarvaṃ nāśayenmartyo dānasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

Translation

ไม่ว่ากระทำโดยไม่รู้หรือรู้ก็ตาม บาปใดที่ปุถุชนได้ก่อไว้ ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งทานนี้ ย่อมทำลายบาปนั้นทั้งหมดสิ้น

Word by Word

• अ-जानता: by one who does not know; unknowingly
• अ-जानता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + जानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) नकारार्थक-उपसर्गयुक्त; करणभावे (by one not knowing)

• जानता: by one who knows; knowingly
• जानता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त; करणभावे (knowingly)

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

• यत्-पापम्: whatever sin
• यत्-पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुषः (whatever sin)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अन्वयबोधक (but/indeed)

• भवेत्: may be; might occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृतम्: committed
• कृतम्: Karta (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (done/committed)

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

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (entire)

• नाशयेत्: should destroy
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्/नाशय् (धातु; √नश् caus.)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दानस्य: of the gift/charity
• दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रभावतः: by the power (thereof)
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'by virtue of/from the power'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a solemn donation at a sacred precinct; priests witness the act, and a symbolic dark cloud of sin dissolves into light around the donor.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture presents sacred charity as a potent means of purification, capable of erasing both deliberate and accidental wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha setting is implied, but the verse itself does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing “this donation” (contextually, Tulāpuruṣa dāna) as an expiatory and purifying act.