Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

यत्करोत्येकरात्रेण वृषलीसेवनाद्द्विजः । तद्भैक्ष्यभुग्जपन्नित्यं त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्व्यपोहति

Transliteration

yatkarotyekarātreṇa vṛṣalīsevanāddvijaḥ | tadbhaikṣyabhugjapannityaṃ tribhirvarṣairvyapohati

Translation

Quel que soit le démérite qu’un « deux-fois-né » (dvija) contracte en une seule nuit en fréquentant une vṛṣalī, il l’efface en vivant d’aumônes et en accomplissant le japa quotidien pendant trois ans.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (sin/deed)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (2nd case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—यत् (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एकरात्रेण: in/within one night
• एकरात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकरात्र (प्रातिपदिक; एक + रात्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया/करण (3rd case), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे

• वृषली-सेवनात्: from (the act of) consorting with a śūdra-woman
• वृषली-सेवनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/अपादान (5th case), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brahmin etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/कर्ता (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्: that (sin)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (2nd case), एकवचन; तद् = that (aforementioned)

• भैक्ष्य-भुक्: one who eats alms-food
• भैक्ष्य-भुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (धातु; ‘भुक्’ = खानेवाला)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (द्विजस्य)

• जपन्: reciting (muttering)
• जपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (द्विजस्य)

• नित्यम्: always/constantly
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/करण (3rd case), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (वर्षैः)

• वर्षैः: years
• वर्षैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/करण (3rd case), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे

• व्यपोहति: removes/expels
• व्यपोहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√ऊह्/√वह् (धातु; व्यपोहति = removes)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि + अप

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (context: Śiva instructing Pārvatī in Śrāddhakalpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twice-born ascetic-householder in transition: carrying a begging bowl, walking at dawn along a sacred shore/ghāṭa, softly chanting japa with mālā; three-year cycle suggested by changing seasons in a triptych-like composition.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma pairs transgression with a defined path of purification—discipline, humility (alms-living), and sustained mantra-practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, though the verse is primarily about prāyaścitta rather than a specific tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atonement: live on alms (bhaikṣya) and perform daily japa for three years to remove the stated demerit.