Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नीलमध्यं यदा गच्छेत्प्रमादाद्ब्राह्मणः क्वचित् । अहोरात्रोषितो भूत्वा पञ्चगव्येन शुद्ध्यति

Transliteration

nīlamadhyaṃ yadā gacchetpramādādbrāhmaṇaḥ kvacit | ahorātroṣito bhūtvā pañcagavyena śuddhyati

Translation

Si, par inadvertance, un brāhmaṇa pénètre quelque part au milieu du « nīla », alors, après avoir observé l’abstinence un jour et une nuit, il est purifié par le pañcagavya.

Word by Word

• नीलमध्यम्: the middle of the nīla (tree/wood)
• नीलमध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नीलस्य मध्यः)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• गच्छेत्: should go/enter
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रमादात्: through negligence
• प्रमादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• ब्राह्मणः: a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• क्वचित्: at some time/somewhere
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'somewhere/sometime')

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having stayed for a day and night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र + उषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वस्/उष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व-आधार + तत्पुरुषः (अहः+रात्रि; अहोरात्रे उषितः); भूतकृदन्त

• भूत्वा: having become/being
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पञ्चगव्येन: with pañcagavya (five cow-products)
• पञ्चगव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च गव्यानि यस्मिन्/पञ्चगव्यं)

• शुद्ध्यति: becomes purified
• शुद्ध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (normative authority)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim accidentally steps into a blue-dyed area (cloth-dyeing pit/indigo patch) and is alarmed; a priest prescribes ahorātra restraint and pañcagavya; the pilgrim returns purified to the tīrtha steps.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pañcagavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even accidental lapses are addressed by dharma through measured expiation, preserving the seriousness of sacred observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, reflecting the purity culture associated with rites connected to Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ahorātra abstinence followed by pañcagavya purification if one inadvertently enters the 'nīla' midst.