Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कुर्यादज्ञानतो यस्तु नीलं वै दन्तधावनम् । कृत्वा कृच्छ्रद्वयं तस्य शुद्धिरुक्ता मनीषिभिः

Transliteration

kuryādajñānato yastu nīlaṃ vai dantadhāvanam | kṛtvā kṛcchradvayaṃ tasya śuddhiruktā manīṣibhiḥ

Translation

Wenn jedoch jemand aus Unwissenheit das „nīla“ zum Zähneputzen verwendet, so erklären die Weisen, dass seine Reinigung durch zweimaliges Vollziehen der Kṛcchra-Buße erreicht wird.

Word by Word

• कुर्यात्: should do/make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अज्ञानतः: out of ignorance
• अज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/through ignorance')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• नीलम्: nīla (blue wood/substance)
• नीलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning (stick/powder)
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दन्तानां धावनम्)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• कृच्छ्रद्वयम्: two kṛcchra penances
• कृच्छ्रद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे कृच्छ्रे)

• तस्य: of him/for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उक्ता: is stated
• उक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• मनीषिभिः: by the sages/wise ones
• मनीषिभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopyāditya (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (contextual addressee in the chapter)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim or householder, having used a blue substance for dantadhāvana, approaches learned elders; they prescribe ‘kṛcchra-dvaya’ with compassionate firmness; the scene emphasizes correction and restoration.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛcchra (penance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even unintentional ritual mistakes have remedies in Dharma; sincere penance restores purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Gopyāditya Māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Kṛcchra penance twice (kṛcchradvaya) as a purification (prāyaścitta).