Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अज्ञानाद्वादयेद्यस्तु वीणां चैव तथा स्वरान् । स तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थं तत्र गच्छेन्महेश्वरि

Transliteration

ajñānādvādayedyastu vīṇāṃ caiva tathā svarān | sa tatpātakaśuddhyarthaṃ tatra gacchenmaheśvari

Translation

«Mais quiconque, par ignorance, joue de la vīṇā et des notes (svara) de façon fautive—ô Maheśvarī—doit s’y rendre pour la purification de cette faute.»

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• वादयेत्: should play/should cause to sound
• वादयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वादय् (धातु; √वद्-प्रेरण/णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• वीणाम्: the vīṇā (lute)
• वीणाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्वरान्: notes/tones
• स्वरान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purification of that sin
• तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः: (तत्-पातकस्य) शुद्ध्यर्थम् = 'for the purpose of purification of that sin'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु; √गम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरि: O Maheshvarī
• महेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing Devī (Maheśvarī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradeśvara Bhairava at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvarī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrite musician holding a vīṇā approaches the Bhairava shrine at Prabhāsa, head bowed; the instrument is depicted with slightly discordant strings symbolically, then shown being retuned as purification is sought.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvarī (Devī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Nāradeśvara Bhairava
• Vīṇā
• Svara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arts must be practiced with knowledge and humility; when error arises from ignorance, dharma offers a path of correction through tīrtha and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the same ‘there’—Prabhāsa-kṣetra, linked with Nāradeśvara Bhairava and Brahmakuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A corrective pilgrimage to the site, undertaken specifically for pātaka-śuddhi (sin-purification).