Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पापघ्नं सर्वजंतूनां जानक्याऽराधितं पुरा । प्रतिष्ठितं विशेषेण सम्यगाराध्यशंकरम्

Transliteration

pāpaghnaṃ sarvajaṃtūnāṃ jānakyā'rādhitaṃ purā | pratiṣṭhitaṃ viśeṣeṇa samyagārādhyaśaṃkaram

Translation

إنه مُزيلُ الآثام لجميع الكائنات. وقد عُبد قديماً على يد جانكي (سيتا)، وبعد أن أُرضي شانكرا على الوجه اللائق أُقيم بتثبيتٍ ذي جلالٍ واحتفالٍ خاص.

Word by Word

• pāpaghnam: sin-destroying
• pāpaghnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa-ghna (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + घ्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ (पूर्वश्लोकात्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sarvajaṃtūnām: of all beings
• sarvajaṃtūnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-jaṃtu (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + जन्तु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• jānakyā: by Jānakī (Sītā)
• jānakyā: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणम्/कर्तृ-निर्देशः (agent in passive)

• ārādhitam: worshipped
• ārādhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• purā: formerly; in ancient times
• purā: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (temporal adverb)

• pratiṣṭhitam: established
• pratiṣṭhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• viśeṣeṇa: especially; particularly
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावः (instrumental used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषणम्

• samyak: properly; well
• samyak: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-तुल्य (gerund/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त), अव्ययभावः; ‘having worshipped’

• śaṃkaram: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṃkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘ārādhya’ इत्यस्य कर्म

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jānakīśa / Vasiṣṭheśa (liṅga within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā (Jānakī) in austere devotion worships a radiant Śiva-liṅga; priests perform solemn pratiṣṭhā rites; Śaṅkara’s presence is implied through light, ash, and sacred fire.

Characters & Entities

• Jānakī (Sītā)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Jānakīśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes universally beneficial when sanctified by exemplary devotion—here, Jānakī’s worship of Śiva establishes a model of dharma and bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jānakīśvara, a Śaiva shrine whose origin is linked to Jānakī (Sītā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Śaṅkara and pratiṣṭhā (establishment/consecration), though it does not detail the steps.