Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

निवेद्य ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां तदुक्तं च समाचरेत् । प्रायश्चित्तं यथोक्तं तु ततः शुद्धिमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

nivedya brāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ taduktaṃ ca samācaret | prāyaścittaṃ yathoktaṃ tu tataḥ śuddhimavāpnuyāt

Translation

برہمنوں کے سرداروں کے سامنے اسے اقرار کر کے، جو وہ حکم دیں اسی کے مطابق عمل کرے۔ ان کے بتائے ہوئے پرایَشچِتّ کو بجا لا کر پھر وہ پاکیزگی حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• nivedya: having reported/submitted
• nivedya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having informed/submitted'

• brāhmaṇa-indrāṇām: of the chiefs among Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-indrāṇām: Sampradāna/Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (to/of the chiefs/सम्प्रदान-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'brāhmaṇānām indraḥ' (chief among Brahmins)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• uktam: what is prescribed/said
• uktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'what is said' (quoted instruction)

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

• samācaret: should practice/perform
• samācaret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular)

• prāyaścittam: expiation
• prāyaścittam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: as/according to)

• uktam: prescribed/said
• uktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle)

• tataḥ: thereafter/from that
• tataḥ: Apādāna/Hetu (From that/thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: 'thereafter/from that')

• śuddhim: purity
• śuddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• avāpnuyāt: should obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble offender kneeling before a circle of venerable brāhmaṇas; one elder raises a hand in instruction while a palm-leaf text rests nearby; the offender holds a water-pot and kusa grass, ready for prescribed rites.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇas (elders/authorities)
• Rohitāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification requires humility, disclosure before dharmic authorities, and disciplined follow-through of prescribed expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse focuses on dharmic procedure rather than a named sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Confession to learned brāhmaṇas and performance of the prāyaścitta exactly as instructed.