Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

महापापसमाचारः पापिष्ठो वाऽति किल्बिषी । घुणाक्षरमिव प्राणान्प्राच्यां मुक्त्वा शिवं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

mahāpāpasamācāraḥ pāpiṣṭho vā'ti kilbiṣī | ghuṇākṣaramiva prāṇānprācyāṃ muktvā śivaṃ vrajet

Translation

Selbst wer in schwerer Sünde lebt, höchst verwerflich und stark befleckt — wenn er dort im östlichen Viertel sein Leben hingibt, gelangt er zu Śiva, wie ein von Würmern zerfressener Buchstabe, der in seinen Ursprung zurückschwindet.

Word by Word

• महापापसमाचारः: one of very sinful conduct
• महापापसमाचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + समाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महापापेषु समाचरः/महापापसमाचारः = one whose conduct is great sin); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापिष्ठः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + इष्ठन् (तद्धित, superlative)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-विशेषण (अतिशय/तमप्-अर्थ: 'most sinful'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अति: excessively
• अति: Kriya-visheshana (Intensifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: परिमाण/अतिशयवाचक-अव्यय (intensifier: 'excessively')

• किल्बिषी: tainted with sin
• किल्बिषी: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किल्बिषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (possessive adjective: 'sinful/tainted')

• घुणाक्षरम्: a worm-eaten letter/mark
• घुणाक्षरम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (घुणया कृतम् अक्षरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'like')

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• प्राच्याम्: in the eastern quarter / in Prācī
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मुक्त्वा: having given up
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having released/abandoned'

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular; goal)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd singular optative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (prācī-bhāga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heavily burdened sinner reaches Prabhāsa’s eastern precinct at dawn; as life departs, a subtle Śiva-linga radiance draws the departing prāṇa upward; the metaphor of a worm-eaten letter fading into its source is shown as ink dissolving into light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Prācī (east)
• Prabhāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣetra-māhātmya teaches transformative grace: even the gravely sinful may attain Śiva through the sanctity of the holy place and final departure there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, particularly its eastern quarter (prācī) as a spiritually decisive zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Antya-kāla (end-of-life) emphasis: giving up life in the prācī at the sacred kṣetra is said to lead to Śiva.