Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषितः स्नातस्तीर्थेऽस्मिन्ब्रह्महाऽपि यः । विमुक्तः पातकात्तस्मान्मोदते दिवि रुद्रवत्

Transliteration

trirātropoṣitaḥ snātastīrthe'sminbrahmahā'pi yaḥ | vimuktaḥ pātakāttasmānmodate divi rudravat

Translation

Selbst wer der brahmahatyā schuldig ist: Wenn er drei Nächte fastet und in diesem Tīrtha badet, wird er von jener Sünde befreit und erfreut sich dann im Himmel wie Rudra.

Word by Word

• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: one who has fasted for three nights
• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject yaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक) + upoṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (trirātra = त्रयः रात्रयः; trirātra-upoṣita = त्रिरात्रे उपोषितः/त्रिरात्रं उपोषितः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; yaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• snātaḥ: bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject yaḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP) ‘snāta’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; yaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tīrthe: in the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location: in this)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brahmahā: a slayer of a Brahmin
• brahmahā: Karta (Subject apposition to yaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (brahma-han = ब्राह्मणं हन्ति/हतवान्); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; yaḥ इत्यस्य विशेष्य (even a brahmin-slayer)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• vimuktaḥ: is freed
• vimuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP) ‘vimukta’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; yaḥ इत्यस्य विधेय

• pātakāt: from sin
• pātakāt: Apādāna (Source: from sin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore/from that (cause)
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः/अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थ/ततः

• modate: rejoices
• modate: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mud (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• rudravat: like Rudra
• rudravat: Upamāna (Comparative adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (indeclinable of comparison)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī in a tīrtha-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācīna

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent devotee, emaciated from a three-night fast, steps into sacred waters at Prācīna; above, a Rudra-like luminous form or a heavenly radiance signifies release from brahmahatyā and ascent to svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Prācīna Tīrtha
• Rudra
• brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere austerity and tīrtha-bathing are presented as powerful means of purification, even for severe transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This refers to the Prācīna Tīrtha in the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting for three nights (trirātra upoṣa) followed by bathing (snāna) at the tīrtha.