Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कृष्णक्रीडाकरं स्थानं वाञ्छन्ति मनसा प्रिये । तेषां हृदि स्थितं पापं क्षालयेत्प्रेतनायकः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇakrīḍākaraṃ sthānaṃ vāñchanti manasā priye | teṣāṃ hṛdi sthitaṃ pāpaṃ kṣālayetpretanāyakaḥ

Translation

يا حبيبة، إنّ الذين يتشوّقون بقلوبهم إلى الموضع الذي هو ميدانُ لعبِ شري كريشنا—تُغسَلُ خطاياهم الراسخةُ في الفؤاد، حتى على يدِ يَما، سيّدِ الراحلين.

Word by Word

• कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्: that which causes Krishna’s play (i.e., playground of Krishna)
• कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + क्रीडा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्’; तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य क्रीडां करोति/क्रीडाकरः)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘स्थानम्’

• वाञ्छन्ति: desire
• वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘वाञ्छन्ति’

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘मनसा’

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘प्रिये’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — ‘तेषाम्’

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘हृदि’

• स्थितम्: situated, abiding
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘स्थितम्’ (पापम् इति विशेषणम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘पापम्’

• क्षालयेत्: would wash away, should cleanse
• क्षालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘क्षालयेत्’

• प्रेतनायकः: the lord/leader of the departed (Yama)
• प्रेतनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘प्रेतनायकः’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतानां नायकः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-krīḍā-sthāna (within Dvārakā kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Priye’ (beloved) addressed—suggesting a conversational frame within the mahatmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with closed eyes visualizing Kṛṣṇa playing in a coastal garden/courtyard of Dvārakā; within the heart-lotus, dark stains (pāpa) dissolve as Yama, instead of punishing, pours a cleansing stream—symbolizing transformed karmic fate through bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Pretanāyaka (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mental longing for Kṛṣṇa’s sacred play-land is credited with profound purification of inner sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā/Kṛṣṇapurī, implied as Kṛṣṇa’s krīḍā-sthāna (līlā-ground).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; an interior practice is emphasized—manasa-vāñchā (heartfelt longing) for the sacred place.