Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पितृमातृवधाज्जातं यत्कृतं तेन पाप्मना । क्षत्रियापसदेनात्र तथान्यदपि कुत्सितम्

Transliteration

pitṛmātṛvadhājjātaṃ yatkṛtaṃ tena pāpmanā | kṣatriyāpasadenātra tathānyadapi kutsitam

Translation

สิ่งใดก็ตามที่คนบาปผู้นั้นได้กระทำไว้ ณ ที่นี้—ผู้เกิดจากอาชญากรรมฆ่าบิดามารดา—โดยผู้ต่ำช้าเป็นเดนในหมู่กษัตริยะ และการกระทำอันน่ารังเกียจอื่นใดอีกก็ตาม…

Word by Word

• पितृमातृवधात्: from the killing of father and mother
• पितृमातृवधात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—(पितृ + मातृ) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः, ततः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः वधः (पितृमातॄणां वधः)

• जातम्: arisen
• जातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि/निष्पन्न), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “born/arisen”

• यत्: whatever which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “done/committed”

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; “by him/that”

• पाप्मना: by/with sinfulness; by the sinner
• पाप्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• क्षत्रियापसदेन: by the outcast of kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियापसदेन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + अपसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षत्रियाणाम् अपसदः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तथा: thus; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

• अन्यत्: other (deed)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• कुत्सितम्: despicable
• कुत्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्यत्/यत्कृतम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Rāma (Jamadagnija/Paraśurāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the frame (sages/brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A denunciatory recounting of crimes: a shadowed figure symbolizing the ‘kṣatriyāpasada’, elders/parents as faint silhouettes, sages listening with sorrow and disgust, the atmosphere heavy with moral gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Kṣatriya-apasada (vile kṣatriya)
• Pitṛ
• Mātṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the Purāṇic hierarchy of grave sins—especially violence against parents—and the resulting moral urgency in dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the chapter belongs to a larger tīrtha-glorification context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse intensifies the ethical indictment driving the subsequent vow.