Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

महीयध्वे तु जाप्येन प्राणायामैस्त्रिभिः कृतैः । ब्रह्महत्यासमं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति

Transliteration

mahīyadhve tu jāpyena prāṇāyāmaistribhiḥ kṛtaiḥ | brahmahatyāsamaṃ pāpaṃ tatkṣaṇādeva naśyati

Translation

Doch durch Japa werdet ihr hoch geehrt; werden drei Prāṇāyāmas vollzogen, so vergeht die Sünde, die der Brahmahatyā gleichkommt, in eben diesem Augenblick.

Word by Word

• महीयध्वे: you are glorified; you become great
• महीयध्वे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; धातोः मह् (to honor/be great) → 'you become great/are glorified'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषार्थक निपात (particle)

• जाप्येन: by (silent) repetition/recitation (japa)
• जाप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राणायामैः: by prāṇāyāmas
• प्राणायामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying प्राणायामैः)

• कृतैः: performed, done
• कृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); प्राणायामैः इति विशेष्येण सह

• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: equal to (the sin of) brahmahatyā
• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'equal to brahmahatyā'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment; instantly
• तत्क्षणात्: Apādāna (Point of time/from when)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'that very moment'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); कालवाचक (temporal)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• नश्यति: perishes; is destroyed
• नश्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gāyatrī (Veda-mātā, personified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogic practitioner seated in padmāsana near a sacred precinct, performing prāṇāyāma (hands in prāṇāyāma mudrā), then counting japa beads; a dark cloud labeled ‘brahmahatyā-samapāpa’ dissolves into light instantly.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇāyāma
• Japa
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner discipline (breath-control) combined with sacred recitation is praised as a swift purifier in the tīrtha framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is embedded in Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, implying exceptional potency when practiced in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing three prāṇāyāmas and engaging in japa as an expiatory practice.