Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

यत्पापं गुरुगोघ्ने च परस्वहरणेषु च । तत्पापं क्षयमाप्नोति ब्रह्मकुण्डनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

yatpāpaṃ gurugoghne ca parasvaharaṇeṣu ca | tatpāpaṃ kṣayamāpnoti brahmakuṇḍaniṣevaṇāt

Translation

Le péché de tuer le guru ou la vache, et celui de dérober le bien d’autrui, s’anéantit par le recours dévot au Brahmakuṇḍa.

Word by Word

• yat: which
• yat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• guru-goghne: in killing a teacher and a cow
• guru-goghne: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + go-ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; guru-ghnaḥ ca go-ghnaḥ ca (copulative: slayer of teacher and cow)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• para-sva-haraṇeṣu: in thefts of others’ property
• para-sva-haraṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para + sva + haraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Bahuvacana; parasya svasya haraṇam (genitive-tatpuruṣa: taking another’s property)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; anaphoric (that)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• kṣayam: destruction
• kṣayam: Karma (Result/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• brahma-kuṇḍa-niṣevaṇāt: from resorting to/serving Brahmakuṇḍa
• brahma-kuṇḍa-niṣevaṇāt: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + kuṇḍa + niṣevaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Pañcamī (5th), Ekavacana; hetu-ablative: brahmakuṇḍasya niṣevaṇam (genitive-tatpuruṣa within)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa (Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent figure approaches Brahmakuṇḍa with bowed head; symbolic images of a cow, a guru’s seat, and stolen goods appear as faint vignettes, then dissolve into the kuṇḍa’s purifying light as the pilgrim bathes.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Niṣevaṇa (devoted resort)
• Go (cow)
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave sins are presented as curable through sincere pilgrimage and reverent practice at a supremely holy tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmakuṇḍa-niṣevaṇa—devoted resort/regular visitation and observance at the tīrtha.