Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

अथोवाच द्विजान्सर्वान्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । चिरमाराध्य सोमेन सोमेशं पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

athovāca dvijānsarvānbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | ciramārādhya somena someśaṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

Da sprach Brahmā, der Großvater der Welten, zu allen Zweimalgeborenen: „Nachdem Soma lange Zeit Someśvara, den Sündenvernichter, verehrt hatte, wurde jener Herr gnädig.“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक निपात (sequence particle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजान्: to the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; (द्विजान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोकस्य पितामहः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (ब्रह्मा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb)

• आराध्य: having propitiated/worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) → आराध्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• सोमेन: by Soma
• सोमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सोमेशम्: Someśa (Lord of Soma)
• सोमेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सोमस्य ईशः); पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापस्य नाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (सोमेशम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: All dvijas present in the Prabhāsa assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, dignified and luminous, addresses an assembly of dvijas; behind the discourse is the implied presence of Someśvara’s shrine, with Soma’s long worship evoked through ritual implements and moon symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Soma
• Someśvara (Śiva)
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained devotion and worship of Śiva (Someśvara) culminate in divine grace and the removal of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsika mahātīrtha), where Someśvara is praised as a sin-destroying deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Long-term ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Someśvara by Soma is highlighted as the efficacious practice.