Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रस्तु तद्दृष्ट्वा तीर्थं पापहरं नृप । पूरयामास सर्वत्र पांसुभिर्नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tataḥ śakrastu taddṛṣṭvā tīrthaṃ pāpaharaṃ nṛpa | pūrayāmāsa sarvatra pāṃsubhirnṛpasattama

Translation

ثم إن شَكْرَة (إندرا)، لما رأى ذلك التيرثا الماحي للذنوب، أيها الملك، ملأه في كل موضع بالغبار والتراب، يا خير الملوك.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (but/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-भावे विशेषणम् ‘पापं हरति’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूरयामास: filled
• पूरयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूरय् (धातु; पूर्-णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); देशार्थक (everywhere)

• पांसुभिः: with dust/sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नृपाणां सत्तमः’

Speaker

Pulastya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Manuṣya Tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa/narapati addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śakra), alarmed at the tīrtha’s sin-destroying power, orders or causes dust to be poured so the sacred water/spot is covered and made inconspicuous.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Tīrtha (Mānuṣa Hrada implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s power can be so extraordinary that even gods respond—suggesting both its potency and the drama of preserving or concealing sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pāpahara (sin-removing) tīrtha identified in context as Mānuṣa Hrada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it narrates Indra’s act of covering/filling the tīrtha with dust.