Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानां पूजनान्नाशनं महत् । अथ तस्यैव देवस्य इतिहासं पुरातनम्

Transliteration

brahmahatyādipāpānāṃ pūjanānnāśanaṃ mahat | atha tasyaiva devasya itihāsaṃ purātanam

Translation

إن العبادة تُحدث فناءً عظيماً للذنوب، كإثم البراهمَهَتْيا. والآن سيُروى التاريخ العتيق لذلك الإله بعينه.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahmin-slaying (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समास: ब्रह्मणः हत्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आदि: and other (etc.)
• आदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय, 'etc.' अर्थे (indeclinable meaning 'and the like')

• पापानाम्: of sins
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पूजनात्: from worship; by worship
• पूजनात्: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• नाशनम्: destruction
• नाशनम्: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying नाशनम्)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (then/now)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis: indeed/only)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• इतिहासम्: story/history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying इतिहासम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudreśa (Prabhāsa) / Kedāra-associated worship locus

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (continuing address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worship scene at Rudreśa: flames of ārati, offerings piled; above, a symbolic dark cloud of sin dissolves into light; the narrator gestures to begin an ancient tale, with sages seated to listen.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmahatyā
• Pūjā
• Itihāsa (sacred history)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship at a consecrated tīrtha is upheld as a powerful means of purification, even for grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the same Prabhāsakṣetra deity-context (Rudreśa/Kedāra) whose worship is praised as pāpa-nāśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) is stated as the means that destroys sins; it also signals a transition to the deity’s ancient narrative.