Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 204

Devanagari script

अपापां सर्वभूतानां तपसा नियमेन च । सा च दृष्ट्वा तमायांतं परपुंसो विशंकया । जगाम संमुखं तस्य अश्वरूपधरस्य च

Transliteration

apāpāṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ tapasā niyamena ca | sā ca dṛṣṭvā tamāyāṃtaṃ parapuṃso viśaṃkayā | jagāma saṃmukhaṃ tasya aśvarūpadharasya ca

Translation

Elle—sans péché, vouée à l’ascèse et aux vœux de discipline pour le bien de tous les êtres—le voyant s’approcher, le soupçonna d’être un autre homme ; et elle alla à sa rencontre face à face, car il avait pris la forme d’un cheval.

Word by Word

• apāpām: sinless
• apāpām: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — ‘sā’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings
• sarva-bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — ‘sarva-bhūta’ (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• niyamena: by restraint/observance
• niyamena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• āyāntam: coming/approaching
• āyāntam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग)
• Form: शतृ (Present active participle), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘tam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• para-puṃsaḥ: of another man
• para-puṃsaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘parasya puṃsaḥ’

• viśaṅkayā: with suspicion
• viśaṅkayā: Hetu/Reason (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-śaṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• saṃmukham: to the front/face-to-face
• saṃmukham: Adverbial (दिशा/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्राय प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter)

• aśva-rūpa-dharasya: of the one bearing a horse-form
• aśva-rūpa-dharasya: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘aśva-rūpaṃ dharati’

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer/ṛṣi audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant male figure in horse-form approaches a sinless ascetic woman; she, austere and composed, steps forward to meet him face-to-face, the moment charged with doubt and destiny in a sacred coastal landscape.

Characters & Entities

• A sinless woman (unnamed in snippet)
• Aśvarūpadhara (one who assumed horse-form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and discipline sharpen discernment; dharmic caution is praised when facing uncertain appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, within whose māhātmya this episode is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and niyama (disciplined observances) are referenced as her sustaining virtues, not as a specific rite.