Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एवं कृत्वा नरो भक्त्या यात्रां देवस्य शूलिनः । निर्माल्यातिक्रमोद्भूतैरज्ञानाद्भक्षणोद्भवैः । पापैः प्रमुच्यते जंतुस्तथाऽन्यैः कर्मसंभवैः

Transliteration

evaṃ kṛtvā naro bhaktyā yātrāṃ devasya śūlinaḥ | nirmālyātikramodbhūtairajñānādbhakṣaṇodbhavaiḥ | pāpaiḥ pramucyate jaṃtustathā'nyaiḥ karmasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

Thus, having performed with devotion the pilgrimage (yātrā) of the trident-bearing Lord (Śūlin), a person is freed from sins—those arising from transgressing the sacred nirmālya (consecrated offerings), those arising from eating them in ignorance, and also other sins born of one’s actions (karma).

Word by Word

• evam: thus; in this way
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; prakāra-avyaya (manner adverb)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), avyaya; ‘having done’

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• yātrām: pilgrimage; procession
• yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana (Singular)

• śūlinaḥ: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• śūlinaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana (Singular); epithet of Śiva

• nirmālya-atikrama-udbhūtaiḥ: (sins) arising from transgressing sacred remnants
• nirmālya-atikrama-udbhūtaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmālya (प्रातिपदिक) + atikrama (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.)/Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.) as adjective to pāpaiḥ; Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural); समास: nirmālyasya atikramaḥ → tasmāt udbhūtāni (pāpāni) ‘sins arisen from transgressing the nirmālya’

• ajñānāt: from ignorance; due to ignorance
• ajñānāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakalिङ्ग (n.), Pañcamī-vibhakti (Ablative/5th), Ekavacana (Singular); hetu-artha ‘due to ignorance’

• bhakṣaṇa-udbhavaiḥ: (sins) arising from eating
• bhakṣaṇa-udbhavaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.)/Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.) as adjective to pāpaiḥ; Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural); समास: bhakṣaṇāt udbhavāni (pāpāni) ‘arisen from eating’

• pāpaiḥ: by sins; from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• pramucyate: is freed; is released
• pramucyate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√muc (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Karmaṇi-prayoga (Passive), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• jantuḥ: a creature; person
• jantuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• tathā: likewise; so also
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; manner adverb

• anyaiḥ: by other (sins)
• anyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.)/Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural); viśeṣaṇa of (pāpaiḥ understood)

• karma-saṃbhavaiḥ: (sins) arising from deeds
• karma-saṃbhavaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.)/Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.) as adjective; Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural); समास: karmataḥ saṃbhavāni (pāpāni) ‘arisen from actions’

Speaker

Implied Īśvara (Śiva), addressing Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (Śūlin-yātrā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes a Śiva-yātrā: circumambulating liṅgas, offering bilva and water, receiving guidance from priests; a symbolic ‘burden’ of sins dissolves as sacred ash is applied, emphasizing release from nirmālya-related faults.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlin (Śiva)
• Nirmālya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional pilgrimage functions as purification—sincere yātrā to Śiva releases even inadvertent ritual faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra as a liberating pilgrimage-field, in the Caṇḍīśa Māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Complete the yātrā of Śiva (Śūlin) with devotion; it serves as a prāyaścitta for nirmālya-related and other karma-born sins.