Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मया पापेन देवेश शिवभक्तिः समाश्रिता । तव भक्तिः कृता नैव न कृतं तव वासरम्

Transliteration

mayā pāpena deveśa śivabhaktiḥ samāśritā | tava bhaktiḥ kṛtā naiva na kṛtaṃ tava vāsaram

Translation

Ô Seigneur des dieux ! Moi, pécheur, j’ai cherché refuge dans la dévotion à Śiva ; pourtant je n’ai pas cultivé la dévotion envers Toi, ni observé Ton jour sacré.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular pronoun)

• पापेन: (being) sinful / through sin
• पापेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन (Vocative, masculine, singular)

• शिवभक्तिः: devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• समाश्रिता: has been resorted to/embraced
• समाश्रिता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• कृता: done/made
• कृता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वासरम्: day (observance/holy day)
• वासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular)

Speaker

A devotee/pilgrim addressing Śrī Kṛṣṇa (with sectarian self-critique in Dvārakā context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee confesses before Hari: ‘I took refuge in Śiva-bhakti, but neglected You and Your sacred day.’ Visual contrast: a small Śiva-liṅga in the background (revered) while the central focus is Hari/Kṛṣṇa receiving the confession, indicating reorientation rather than rejection.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Śiva
• bhakti
• vāsara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion should be sincere and complete; the speaker repents neglect of Kṛṣṇa’s worship and vows to align with proper observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Kṛṣṇa’s worship and sacred-day observance are emphasized as spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of “tava vāsara” (the Lord’s sacred day/fast-day) and cultivation of bhakti.