Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

पवित्रीकरणायास्य भिक्षुरूपधरो हरः । गौतमस्य गृहं प्राप्तो मंदरं चांधको गतः

Transliteration

pavitrīkaraṇāyāsya bhikṣurūpadharo haraḥ | gautamasya gṛhaṃ prāpto maṃdaraṃ cāṃdhako gataḥ

Translation

Zu seiner Läuterung nahm Hara die Gestalt eines Bettelmönchs an und kam in Gautamas Haus. Und Andhaka ging ebenfalls nach Mandara.

Word by Word

• पवित्रीकरणाय: for purification
• पवित्रीकरणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्रीकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for purification)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भिक्षुरूपधरः: wearing the form of a mendicant
• भिक्षुरूपधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षु + रूप + √धृ (धातु) → धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भिक्षोः रूपम् + धरः = भिक्षुरूपधरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गौतमस्य: of Gautama
• गौतमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (having reached)

• मन्दरम्: Mandara
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): समुच्चय

• अन्धकः: Andhaka (demon)
• अन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (gone)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, disguised as a mendicant, arrives at sage Gautama’s dwelling; in a parallel vignette Andhaka departs toward Mount Mandara, foreshadowing confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Bhikṣu (mendicant form)
• Gautama (ṛṣi)
• Mandara
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine actively enables purification and renewal; grace supports prāyaścitta and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandara is again foregrounded, while the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya frame presents sacred geography as intertwined with moral purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pavitrīkaraṇa (purificatory expiation) is indicated, with Śiva himself facilitating the process by approaching Gautama as a bhikṣu.