Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अवधूतं तथात्मानं मन्यमानो हलायुधः । चिन्तयामास सुमहन्मया पापमिदं कृतम्

Transliteration

avadhūtaṃ tathātmānaṃ manyamāno halāyudhaḥ | cintayāmāsa sumahanmayā pāpamidaṃ kṛtam

Translation

Halāyudha (Balarāma), se jugeant déchu et couvert d’opprobre, réfléchit longuement : «J’ai commis un péché très grand».

Word by Word

• avadhūtam: insulted/repelled
• avadhūtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava+dhū (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle; क्त), पुँल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• ātmānam: himself
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• manyamānaḥ: thinking/considering
• manyamānaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present middle participle; शानच्), पुँल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• halāyudhaḥ: Halāyudha (Balarāma)
• halāyudhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hala (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हलम् आयुधं यस्य/हलायुधः); पुँल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• cintayāmāsa: he reflected
• cintayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• su-mahat: very great
• su-mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अत्यन्तं महत्’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kṛtam: done/committed
• kṛtam: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धा.कृ) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle; क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृतम्’ = ‘done/committed’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-oriented audience (frame tradition: ṛṣis listening to Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Balarāma (Halāyudha) stands apart, head bowed, plough-weapon implied; his face shows shame and deep reflection after a grievous act.

Characters & Entities

• Balarāma (Halāyudha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma begins with self-recognition of wrongdoing and sincere remorse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the setting where repentance turns toward purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the internal resolve prepares for formal prāyaścitta described subsequently.