Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तस्त्वं यदा स्यान्नृपसत्तम । प्रायश्चित्तेन योग्यः स्यास्ततो यज्ञस्य नान्यथा

Transliteration

sarvatīrthābhiṣiktastvaṃ yadā syānnṛpasattama | prāyaścittena yogyaḥ syāstato yajñasya nānyathā

Translation

Ô le meilleur des rois, ce n’est que lorsque tu auras été purifié par l’ablution dans tous les tīrtha sacrés que, par l’expiation (prāyaścitta), tu deviendras apte au yajña ; autrement, jamais.

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तः: bathed/anointed in all sacred places
• सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + सिच् (धातु) → अभिषिक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु अभिषिक्तः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-सम्बन्ध (when)

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• प्रायश्चित्तेन: by expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• योग्यः: fit / eligible
• योग्यः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thereupon/then)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual instructors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha (conceptual), implied Prabhāsa-ādi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa-sattama) within the story; also the broader audience via the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands before learned brāhmaṇas; behind them a symbolic map-like procession of many tīrthas; the king is ritually anointed (abhiṣikta) with waters from diverse sacred sources, signifying readiness for yajña.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• abhiṣeka (ritual bathing)
• prāyaścitta
• yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is tied to moral and ritual fitness; pilgrimage and expiation establish adhikāra for higher rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse extols ‘all tīrthas’ collectively (sarva-tīrtha) rather than naming one particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undergo tīrtha-bathing/purification and then prāyaścitta to become eligible to perform the yajña.