Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पापं कुत्सितमित्याहुस्तस्य सन्तापकारिणः । अष्ट चैवं मतास्तस्मात्कुतपा इति विश्रुताः

Transliteration

pāpaṃ kutsitamityāhustasya santāpakāriṇaḥ | aṣṭa caivaṃ matāstasmātkutapā iti viśrutāḥ

Translation

Sin is called ‘kutsita’—that which is blameworthy and brings burning torment. Therefore these are regarded as eight and are renowned by the name ‘Kutapa’.

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विषयः (that which is being defined)

• कुत्सितम्: blameworthy/condemned
• कुत्सितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपातः (quotative particle)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘आह’ परस्मैपद-प्रयोगः)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect; used as present ‘they say’), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of that/of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• सन्तापकारिणः: of the distress-causing (one/thing)
• सन्तापकारिणः: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्ताप + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सन्तापं करोति’ इति (causing distress)

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Saṅkhyā (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचकं (numeral), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘eight’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (manner adverb)

• मताः: are considered
• मताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘considered/held to be’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ (therefore)

• कुतपाः: kutapas (a set of eight items/periods)
• कुतपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• इति: as/called
• इति: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशार्थक-निपातः (thus-called)

• विश्रुताः: are renowned
• विश्रुताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वि-उपसर्गपूर्वक-क्त कृदन्तः (PPP), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘well-known’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned ācārya explains the etymology and moral weight of pāpa to pilgrims at Prabhāsa; the sea and Somnātha-kṣetra ambience frames a didactic moment.

Characters & Entities

• Kutapa
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is framed as protection from pāpa; the Kutapa set is praised as a recognized safeguard.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where śrāddha is taught as a dharmic practice with named purifying supports.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Treat the enumerated sanctifiers as an ‘eightfold’ Kutapa set to counteract impurity in śrāddha.