Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

देवानामपि दुष्प्राप्यं महापातकनाशनम् । प्रभासे त्वेकरात्रेण अमावास्यां कृतोदकः

Transliteration

devānāmapi duṣprāpyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam | prabhāse tvekarātreṇa amāvāsyāṃ kṛtodakaḥ

Translation

Bien qu’il soit difficile à obtenir même pour les dieux, il détruit les grands péchés. À Prabhāsa, celui qui accomplit le rite de l’eau—le bain sacré (snāna)—au jour d’Amāvāsyā (nouvelle lune), fût-ce en n’y demeurant qu’une seule nuit, en reçoit le fruit.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — 'of the gods'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ — 'even/also'

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: difficult to obtain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्- + प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √प्राप् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ: 'hard to obtain')

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Object or predicative/कर्म-स्वरूप)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'महापातकानां नाशनम्'

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'in Prabhāsa'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषणार्थ — 'but/indeed'

• एकरात्रेण: by (observing) one night
• एकरात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास: 'एका रात्रिः' → 'one night'

• अमावास्याम्: on amāvāsyā (new moon)
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'on the new-moon day'

• कृतोदकः: one who has performed the ritual bath
• कृतोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-उदक (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + उदक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थ-तत्पुरुष: 'कृतम् उदकम् यस्य' (one who has performed the water-rite/bath)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from section flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: New-moon dawn at the seashore/river-mouth near Prabhāsa: pilgrims perform snāna with cupped hands offering water (kṛtodaka), lamps flicker in pre-dawn darkness, a temple spire silhouettes against a pale horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Amāvāsyā
• devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A small, sincere observance—staying even one night and bathing on Amāvāsyā at Prabhāsa—is praised as immensely purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekarātra-vāsa (one night’s stay) and kṛtodaka/snānā (ritual bath/ablution) on Amāvāsyā.