Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मृत्तिके हर मे पापं यन्मया पूर्वसंचितम् । त्वया हतेन पापेन पूतः संवत्सरं भवेत्

Transliteration

mṛttike hara me pāpaṃ yanmayā pūrvasaṃcitam | tvayā hatena pāpena pūtaḥ saṃvatsaraṃ bhavet

Translation

হে পবিত্র মৃৎ! আমার দ্বারা পূর্বে সঞ্চিত যে পাপ, তা হরণ করো। তোমার দ্বারা বিনষ্ট পাপে মানুষ এক বৎসর পবিত্র হয়।

Word by Word

• मृत्तिके: O earth/clay
• मृत्तिके: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोगः (vocative address)

• हर: remove
• हर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartṛ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3/instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूर्व: previously
• पूर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन पूर्व- (पूर्वकालवाचक); समासपूर्वपदत्वेन विशेषणम्

• संचितम्: accumulated
• संचितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+चि (धातु) → सञ्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/accusative), एकवचन; पापम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3/instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हतेन: destroyed
• हतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग?; तृतीया (3/instrumental), एकवचन; पापेन इति विशेषणम्

• पापेन: by (that) sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/instrumental), एकवचन

• पूतः: purified
• पूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पू (धातु) → पूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृपद-विशेषणम्

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Kaaladhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/accusative), एकवचन; कालावधि-प्रयोगः

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuation of mṛttikā-mantra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā mṛttikā (Gomatī-taṭa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim smears sacred clay on limbs and forehead; a subtle aura indicates ‘year-long purity’ as a protective radiance; attendants hold water pots and darbha.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛttikā (sacred earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is portrayed as tangible and time-bound merit gained through reverent tīrtha-rituals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Gomatī tīrtha regimen in Dvārakā-māhātmya, where even the local clay is purificatory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reciting a prayer to mṛttikā while applying/touching it, seeking destruction of accumulated sin and year-long purity.