Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

यत्करोत्येकरात्रेण वृषलीसेवनाद्द्विजः । तद्भैक्ष्यभुग्जपन्नित्यं त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्व्यपोहति

Transliteration

yatkarotyekarātreṇa vṛṣalīsevanāddvijaḥ | tadbhaikṣyabhugjapannityaṃ tribhirvarṣairvyapohati

Translation

Welches Verdienstmanko auch immer ein Zweimalgeborener (dvija) in einer einzigen Nacht durch Umgang mit einer vṛṣalī auf sich lädt, das tilgt er, indem er von Almosen lebt und drei Jahre lang täglich Japa verrichtet.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (sin/deed)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (2nd case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—यत् (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एकरात्रेण: in/within one night
• एकरात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकरात्र (प्रातिपदिक; एक + रात्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया/करण (3rd case), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे

• वृषली-सेवनात्: from (the act of) consorting with a śūdra-woman
• वृषली-सेवनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/अपादान (5th case), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brahmin etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/कर्ता (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्: that (sin)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (2nd case), एकवचन; तद् = that (aforementioned)

• भैक्ष्य-भुक्: one who eats alms-food
• भैक्ष्य-भुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (धातु; ‘भुक्’ = खानेवाला)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (द्विजस्य)

• जपन्: reciting (muttering)
• जपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (द्विजस्य)

• नित्यम्: always/constantly
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/करण (3rd case), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (वर्षैः)

• वर्षैः: years
• वर्षैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/करण (3rd case), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे

• व्यपोहति: removes/expels
• व्यपोहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√ऊह्/√वह् (धातु; व्यपोहति = removes)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि + अप

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (context: Śiva instructing Pārvatī in Śrāddhakalpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twice-born ascetic-householder in transition: carrying a begging bowl, walking at dawn along a sacred shore/ghāṭa, softly chanting japa with mālā; three-year cycle suggested by changing seasons in a triptych-like composition.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma pairs transgression with a defined path of purification—discipline, humility (alms-living), and sustained mantra-practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, though the verse is primarily about prāyaścitta rather than a specific tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atonement: live on alms (bhaikṣya) and perform daily japa for three years to remove the stated demerit.