Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

ऊषरं कर्मणां क्षेत्रं पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । न प्ररोहंति पापानि पुनर्नष्टानि तत्र वै

Transliteration

ūṣaraṃ karmaṇāṃ kṣetraṃ puṇyaṃ pāpavināśanam | na prarohaṃti pāpāni punarnaṣṭāni tatra vai

Translation

Jenes heilige Feld ist wie dürres Land für sündige Taten—ein glückverheißender Bereich, der Sünde vernichtet. Sünden, die dort einmal getilgt sind, treiben wahrlich nicht wieder aus.

Word by Word

• ūṣaram: barren, sterile
• ūṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• karmaṇām: of actions/deeds
• karmaṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• kṣetram: field, place
• kṣetram: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• puṇyam: holy, meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• pāpa-vināśanam: destroyer of sin
• pāpa-vināśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य विनाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• prarohanti: sprout, grow forth
• prarohanti: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ruh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada)

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• naṣṭāni: destroyed, perished
• naṣṭāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pāpāni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Past passive participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha-bodhaka/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic field around Dvārakā where dark seeds labeled ‘pāpa’ fail to sprout, while pilgrims bathe and emerge luminous—sin dissolving like ink in water.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Pāpa
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly sanctified tīrtha not only removes sin but prevents its recurrence, symbolizing deep inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its sacred region, praised as a pāpa-vināśana kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the verse speaks of the inherent purifying efficacy of the kṣetra.