Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

त्वया पुनः कुमार्गेण यद्व्रतं ब्राह्मणेन च । शैवमार्गं समास्थाय तन्महापातकं कृतम्

Transliteration

tvayā punaḥ kumārgeṇa yadvrataṃ brāhmaṇena ca | śaivamārgaṃ samāsthāya tanmahāpātakaṃ kṛtam

Translation

แต่เจ้ากลับเดินทางคด ร่วมกับพราหมณ์คนหนึ่ง ตั้งปฏิญาณ (วรตะ) โดยอ้างทางไศวะ—สิ่งนั้นกลับกลายเป็นมหาปาตกะ บาปใหญ่

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• punaḥ: again; moreover
• punaḥ: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ku-mārgeṇa: by the wrong path
• ku-mārgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku (उपसर्ग/निपात) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्दिष्ट-विशेषणपूर्वकः: कुमार्गः = दुष्टः मार्गः)

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vratam: vow; observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇena: by a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• śaiva-mārgam: the Śaiva path
• śaiva-mārgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: शैवस्य मार्गः)

• samāsthāya: having adopted; having taken refuge in
• samāsthāya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (prior action): “having resorted to/undertaken”

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahā-pātakam: a great sin
• mahā-pātakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् पातकम्)

• kṛtam: was committed; done
• kṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः: “was done/committed”

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense confrontation: an accuser points out the ‘evil path’ behind a Śaiva vow; the brāhmaṇa accomplice stands uneasy; a shadowed liṅga shrine indicates the sanctity being misused.

Characters & Entities

• vrata
• brāhmaṇa
• Śaiva-mārga
• mahāpātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious observances lose merit—and can become grave faults—when pursued through kumārga (corrupt means), hypocrisy, or adharmic procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a moral critique within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata is referenced, but the verse primarily condemns improper undertaking rather than prescribing a correct rite.