Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्राहं चौररूपेण पापः स्तैन्यं समाश्रितः । सच्छूद्राणां कुले जातो देवब्राह्मणपूजकः

Transliteration

tatrāhaṃ caurarūpeṇa pāpaḥ stainyaṃ samāśritaḥ | sacchūdrāṇāṃ kule jāto devabrāhmaṇapūjakaḥ

Translation

Dort war ich, ein Sünder, in der Gestalt eines Diebes und dem Stehlen ergeben. In einer ehrbaren Śūdra-Familie geboren, war ich dennoch ein Verehrer der Götter und ein Ehrender der Brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चौर-रूपेण: in the form of a thief
• चौर-रूपेण: Karana (Manner/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘चौरस्य रूपम्’; तृतीया = ‘in the form of’

• पापः: sinful, wicked
• पापः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्तैन्यम्: theft, thievery
• स्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to
• समाश्रितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (having resorted to)

• सत्-शूद्राणाम्: of good śūdras
• सत्-शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सन्तः शूद्राः = good śūdras)

• कुले: in a family
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• जातः: born
• जातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• देव-ब्राह्मण-पूजकः: a worshipper of gods and brāhmaṇas
• देव-ब्राह्मण-पूजकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजक (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (देवब्राह्मणयोः) द्वन्द्व-समास + ‘पूजक’ = कर्तृवाचक-ण्वुलन्त; ‘worshipper of gods and brāhmaṇas’

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (deductively: a repentant thief relating his past)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed woman (varānane) implied in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful man narrates his past: a thief by conduct yet with folded hands before a small altar, offering respect to brāhmaṇas; the Prabhāsa pilgrimage crowd and temple lamps glow in the background, emphasizing inner conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Brāhmaṇas
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even one who has fallen into sin can retain seeds of dharma (reverence for gods and Brāhmaṇas), which become a basis for later purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the speaker’s life-story of sin and potential redemption unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse frames dharmic reverence (deva- and brāhmaṇa-pūjā) as a meaningful virtue.