Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कृष्णं स्नानार्द्रगात्रं च वस्त्रेण परिमार्जति । तस्य लक्षार्जितस्यापि भवेत्पापस्य मार्जनम्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇaṃ snānārdragātraṃ ca vastreṇa parimārjati | tasya lakṣārjitasyāpi bhavetpāpasya mārjanam

Translation

Quiconque essuie, avec un tissu, le corps de Śrī Kṛṣṇa encore humide après le bain, pour lui advient l’effacement du péché, même de celui amassé par centaines de milliers.

Word by Word

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नानार्द्रगात्रम्: whose body is wet from bathing
• स्नानार्द्रगात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + आर्द्र + गात्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (स्नानेन आर्द्रं गात्रं यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• वस्त्रेण: with a cloth
• वस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिमार्जति: wipes/cleans
• परिमार्जति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; उपसर्गः—परि

• तस्य: of that (person/act)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लक्षार्जितस्य: earned (even) by a lakh (of acts)
• लक्षार्जितस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष + अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (लक्षेण अर्जितः = 'acquired by a lakh')

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Avyaya-bhāva (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

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

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मार्जनम्: cleansing/removal
• मार्जनम्: Karta/Result (Predicate nominative/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative voice addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa’s icon glistens after abhiṣeka; a devotee gently wipes the wet limbs with a clean cloth; the cloth is held reverently like a sacred relic; surrounding devotees watch in quiet awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Sevā (service)
• Pāpa (sin)
• Dvārakā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble personal service to the Lord (sevā) is a powerful purifier, not merely grand ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā by context, as the place where Kṛṣṇa’s worship and service are celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Post-abhiṣeka service: wiping/drying the deity’s wet body with a cloth.