Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पापघ्नानि शुभानि च । तानि सूतज कार्त्स्न्येन यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni pāpaghnāni śubhāni ca | tāni sūtaja kārtsnyena yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

En la tierra hay tīrthas que destruyen el pecado y otorgan auspiciosidad. Oh hijo de Sūta, dignaos describirlos por completo y en el debido orden.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यानि: which
• यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पापघ्नानि: sin-destroying
• पापघ्नानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापं हन्ति इति)

• शुभानि: auspicious
• शुभानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सूतस्य जः)

• कार्त्स्न्येन: completely, in entirety
• कार्त्स्न्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्स्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• अर्हसि: you are able/you ought
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: General tīrtha-saṅgraha (leading into Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer addressing the sūta-putra (contextual interlocutor within Prabhāsa-māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful inquirer requests Sūta’s son to narrate, in full and in order, the sin-destroying tīrthas of the earth—an opening tableau of a sacred discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas
• Sūtaja (Sūta’s son—Sūta narrator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are portrayed as Dharma-institutions of grace—removing sin and generating auspicious transformation for pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the verse requests an authoritative, comprehensive account of the earth’s tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies tīrtha-sevana (engagement with pilgrimage sites) whose typical practices include snāna, dāna, and worship.