Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यत्र मंकणकः सिद्धः प्राचीने नियतात्मवान् । ब्रह्महत्याव्रतं चीर्णं मया यत्र वरानने

Transliteration

yatra maṃkaṇakaḥ siddhaḥ prācīne niyatātmavān | brahmahatyāvrataṃ cīrṇaṃ mayā yatra varānane

Translation

هناك، في ديار «براچي»، أقام السِّدها مانكانَكا، المتحكّم في نفسه؛ وهناك أيضًا، يا حسنةَ الوجه، أديتُ نذرَ الكفّارة (براياشِتّا) عن إثم «براهمَهَتْيا» (قتل البراهمن).

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘where’

• मंकणकः: Maṅkaṇaka (a sage)
• मंकणकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंकणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular (proper name)

• सिद्धः: accomplished/perfected
• सिद्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मंकणकः) — Masculine, Nominative singular

• प्राचीने: in Prācīna / in the eastern region
• प्राचीने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देश/कालवाचक विशेषणम्, अधिकरणे — Locative singular, ‘in the eastern/ancient (place)’

• नियतात्मवान्: self-restrained
• नियतात्मवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत + आत्मन् + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि ‘नियतो आत्मा यस्य’ — Masculine, Nominative singular, ‘self-controlled’

• ब्रह्महत्याव्रतम्: the vow of expiation for brahma-hatya
• ब्रह्महत्याव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘ब्रह्महत्यायाः व्रतम्’

• चीर्णम्: was performed/observed
• चीर्णम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) → चीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, कर्मणि/विधेय-रूपे ‘performed/observed’ — Neuter singular past participle

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, Instrumental singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘where’

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘वरम् आननं यस्याः’ — Feminine, Vocative singular (address)

Speaker

Uncertain (first-person 'mayā' indicates a named speaker in the broader dialogue; not identifiable from this snippet alone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācī (Prabhāsa-associated expiation locale)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A feminine interlocutor addressed as "varānane"

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A siddha-ascetic Maṅkaṇaka in deep meditation near the Prācī bank; nearby, the narrator-figure performs austere expiation rites—simple garments, matted hair, controlled posture—under a sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇaka
• Prācī
• Brahmahatyā-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave sins are addressed through dharmic expiation when undertaken in a powerful tīrtha and with self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prācī region connected with Sarasvatī in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, presented as efficacious for siddhis and prāyaścitta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of a brahma-hatyā prāyaścitta-vrata (expiatory vow for the sin of brahmin-slaying) is referenced.