Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कृष्णक्रीडाकरं स्थानं वाञ्छन्ति मनसा प्रिये । तेषां हृदि स्थितं पापं क्षालयेत्प्रेतनायकः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇakrīḍākaraṃ sthānaṃ vāñchanti manasā priye | teṣāṃ hṛdi sthitaṃ pāpaṃ kṣālayetpretanāyakaḥ

Translation

Ô bien-aimée, ceux qui, en leur esprit, désirent le lieu qui est le terrain de jeu de Śrī Kṛṣṇa—le péché demeuré dans leur cœur est lavé, fût-ce par Yama, Seigneur des défunts.

Word by Word

• कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्: that which causes Krishna’s play (i.e., playground of Krishna)
• कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + क्रीडा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘कृष्णक्रीडाकरम्’; तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य क्रीडां करोति/क्रीडाकरः)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘स्थानम्’

• वाञ्छन्ति: desire
• वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘वाञ्छन्ति’

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘मनसा’

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘प्रिये’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — ‘तेषाम्’

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘हृदि’

• स्थितम्: situated, abiding
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘स्थितम्’ (पापम् इति विशेषणम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘पापम्’

• क्षालयेत्: would wash away, should cleanse
• क्षालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘क्षालयेत्’

• प्रेतनायकः: the lord/leader of the departed (Yama)
• प्रेतनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘प्रेतनायकः’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतानां नायकः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-krīḍā-sthāna (within Dvārakā kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Priye’ (beloved) addressed—suggesting a conversational frame within the mahatmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with closed eyes visualizing Kṛṣṇa playing in a coastal garden/courtyard of Dvārakā; within the heart-lotus, dark stains (pāpa) dissolve as Yama, instead of punishing, pours a cleansing stream—symbolizing transformed karmic fate through bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Pretanāyaka (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mental longing for Kṛṣṇa’s sacred play-land is credited with profound purification of inner sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā/Kṛṣṇapurī, implied as Kṛṣṇa’s krīḍā-sthāna (līlā-ground).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; an interior practice is emphasized—manasa-vāñchā (heartfelt longing) for the sacred place.