Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गुप्तोऽपि नापराधः स्यात्कस्यचित्प्रकटः कुतः । प्रमादाद्यदि भूलोके कश्चित्पापं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

gupto'pi nāparādhaḥ syātkasyacitprakaṭaḥ kutaḥ | pramādādyadi bhūloke kaścitpāpaṃ samācaret

Translation

اگرچہ جرم چھپا ہو، پھر بھی جرم جرم ہی رہتا ہے؛ کسی کا گناہ کیسے ظاہر نہ ہوگا؟ اگر غفلت سے اس دنیا میں کوئی شخص گناہ کر بیٹھے،

Word by Word

• guptaḥ: hidden
• guptaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √gup)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘hidden’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘even/also’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — negation

• aparādhaḥ: offense, wrongdoing
• aparādhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘would be/may be’

• kasyacit: of someone
• kasyacit: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kasya-cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘of someone’)

• prakaṭaḥ: manifest, evident
• prakaṭaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — विशेषण (अपराधः)

• kutaḥ: how (could it be)?
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘whence/how?’

• pramādāt: from negligence
• pramādāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ‘from negligence’

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त-निपात) — ‘if’

• bhūloke: in the earthly world
• bhūloke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (‘भूः लोकः’ = world/earth)

• kaścit: someone
• kaścit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaścid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘someone’)

• pāpam: sin, evil deed
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samācaret: should commit/practice
• samācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative scene: a pilgrim or king stands before a shrine as shadowy ‘hidden’ acts are revealed by a symbolic light; the verse’s nīti is visualized as truth illuminating secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• pāpa (sin)
• aparādha (offense)
• pramāda (negligence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma is inescapable: concealment cannot cancel wrongdoing; dharma requires vigilance against negligence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it provides a universal dharma teaching within the pilgrimage-literature setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical warning rather than a ritual instruction.