Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

जातश्च तत्प्रभावेन कुष्ठेन परिवर्जितः । शास्त्रचौर्यकृताद्दोषान्मूकरूपः स हास्यकृत्

Transliteration

jātaśca tatprabhāvena kuṣṭhena parivarjitaḥ | śāstracauryakṛtāddoṣānmūkarūpaḥ sa hāsyakṛt

Translation

ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งตถาคตแห่งทีรถะนั้น เขาพ้นจากโรคเรื้อน แต่ด้วยโทษแห่งการลักขโมยศาสตรา/คัมภีร์ เขาผู้เป็นตัวตลกจึงกลายเป็นผู้ใบ้

Word by Word

• जातः: born; arisen
• जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः; 'born/produced'

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

• तत्-प्रभावेन: by/through that influence
• तत्-प्रभावेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य प्रभावः); करण/हेतु-अर्थे (instrumental/causal)

• कुष्ठेन: by leprosy; with leprosy
• कुष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अथवा पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/सहकारि-अर्थे

• परिवर्जितः: deprived of; removed from
• परिवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वृज्/वर्ज् (धातु) → वर्जित (कृदन्त) उपसर्गः परि-
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय); 'excluded/avoided/removed'

• शास्त्र-चौर्य-कृतात्: from the act of stealing scriptures
• शास्त्र-चौर्य-कृतात्: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शास्त्रस्य चौर्यं = शास्त्रचौर्यम; तस्मात् कृतम् = शास्त्रचौर्यकृतम्); अपादान-अर्थे (ablative)

• दोषात्: from the fault/sin
• दोषात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान-अर्थे

• मूक-रूपः: having a mute form; mute-looking
• मूक-रूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूक (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मूकं रूपं यस्य/मूक-रूपः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हास्य-कृत्: one who makes mockery; a jester
• हास्य-कृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु) → कृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (हास्यं करोति इति); वर्तमान/स्वभाववाचक कृत्-प्रत्यय (agent noun)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-gaṅgā (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A once-leprous jester stands near a sacred waterbody; his skin healed, yet his mouth sealed in muteness—onlookers recognize both tīrtha-grace and karmic retribution.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha may remove physical affliction, yet ethical transgressions—especially against śāstra—can leave lasting karmic marks, urging deep repentance and reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the ‘power of that’ sacred context—continuing the Adhyāya 58 tīrtha narrative (including Bhāgīrathī and Bhṛgupāta).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; it emphasizes the principle that tīrtha-benefit works alongside moral accountability, particularly regarding reverence for śāstra.