Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मकूर्चं चरेद्यस्तु सोमाष्टम्यां विधानतः । अघोरेश्वरसांनिध्ये अघोरेणाभिमंत्रितम् । षडब्दस्य महत्तेन प्रायश्चित्तं कृतं भवेत्

Transliteration

brahmakūrcaṃ caredyastu somāṣṭamyāṃ vidhānataḥ | aghoreśvarasāṃnidhye aghoreṇābhimaṃtritam | ṣaḍabdasya mahattena prāyaścittaṃ kṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

Whoever, in due manner, performs the Brahmakūrcha observance on Somāṣṭamī, in the presence of Aghoreśvara, consecrated with the Aghora mantra—by its greatness, expiation for six years is accomplished.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म-कूर्चम्: the brahma-kūrca rite (a penance/observance)
• ब्रह्म-कूर्चम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कूर्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः कूर्चम्)

• चरेत्: should perform/practise
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• सोम-अष्टम्याम्: on the Soma-aṣṭamī (8th lunar day)
• सोम-अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य अष्टमी)

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed procedure
• विधानतः: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• अघोरेश्वर-सांनिध्ये: in the presence of Aghoreśvara
• अघोरेश्वर-सांनिध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अघोरेश्वरस्य सांनिध्यम्)

• अघोरेण: by Aghora (mantra/deity)
• अघोरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अभिमन्त्रितम्: consecrated/enchanted (by mantra)
• अभिमन्त्रितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (PPPart: ‘having been consecrated/enchanted’)

• षट्-अब्दस्य: of six years
• षट्-अब्दस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (षडब्दः = six years)

• महत्तेन: by its greatness/importance
• महत्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done, accomplished
• कृतम्: Kriya (Result-state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि (‘done, accomplished’)

• भवेत्: would be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aghoreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī) in the broader section; also the text’s audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a restrained Brahmakūrcha observance on Somāṣṭamī before the Aghoreśvara liṅga; a priest consecrates with Aghora-mantra; offerings of water, bilva, and lamp; atmosphere of austerity and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Aghoreśvara
• Somāṣṭamī
• Aghora mantra
• Brahmakūrcha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (Somāṣṭamī), place (Aghoreśvara’s presence), and mantra (Aghora) together intensify purification and expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aghoreśvara in Prabhāsakṣetra, where the rite is said to become especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the Brahmakūrcha observance on Somāṣṭamī near Aghoreśvara, empowered by the Aghora mantra, to complete significant prāyaścitta.