Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विशेषतो महाक्षेत्रे सर्वपातकनाशने । चितिकाष्ठं च वै स्पृष्ट्वा यज्ञयूपांस्तथैव च । वेदविक्रयकर्तारं स्पृष्ट्वा स्नानं विधीयते

Transliteration

viśeṣato mahākṣetre sarvapātakanāśane | citikāṣṭhaṃ ca vai spṛṣṭvā yajñayūpāṃstathaiva ca | vedavikrayakartāraṃ spṛṣṭvā snānaṃ vidhīyate

Translation

Besonders in diesem großen heiligen Bezirk, der alle Sünden vernichtet: Berührt man das Holz des Scheiterhaufens, ebenso die Opferpfähle (yūpa), oder berührt man einen Verkäufer der Veda, so ist ein reinigendes Bad vorgeschrieben.

Word by Word

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषेण (adverb: especially)

• mahā-kṣetre: in the great sacred field
• mahā-kṣetre: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण); एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्’

• sarva-pātaka-nāśane: (which is) the destroyer of all sins
• sarva-pātaka-nāśane: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्’ (as epithet of kṣetra)

• citi-kāṣṭham: funeral-pyre wood
• citi-kāṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citi (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘चितेः काष्ठम्’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/assurance)

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘स्पृष्ट्वा’ = having touched

• yajña-yūpān: sacrificial posts
• yajña-yūpān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + yūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘यज्ञस्य यूपाः’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘तथा’ (so/likewise)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• veda-vikraya-kartāram: the seller of the Veda
• veda-vikraya-kartāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vikraya (प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘वेदस्य विक्रयः’ + ‘कर्ता’ → ‘वेदविक्रयकर्ता’ (one who sells the Veda)

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); having touched

• snānam: bathing/purificatory bath
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• vidhīyate: is prescribed/ordained
• vidhīyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु) [वि + धा]
• Form: लट् (present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a pilgrim accidentally touches pyre-wood near a cremation ground and then proceeds to the tīrtha waters for snāna; nearby stand sacrificial posts (yūpa) and a figure attempting to sell a Veda manuscript, which the pilgrim avoids before bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākṣetra (Prabhāsa)
• Yajñayūpa
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in a sin-destroying holy region, purity disciplines remain; reverence for sacred objects and knowledge is mandatory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is praised as a mahākṣetra—“destroyer of all sins” (sarvapātakanāśana).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is prescribed after touching pyre-wood, yajña-posts, or a seller of the Veda.