Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गोघ्नः सुरापो दुर्मेधा ब्रह्महा गुरुतल्पगः । तत्र स्नात्वा नरः सद्यो विपापः संप्रपद्यते

Transliteration

goghnaḥ surāpo durmedhā brahmahā gurutalpagaḥ | tatra snātvā naraḥ sadyo vipāpaḥ saṃprapadyate

Translation

Qu’il soit tueur de vache, buveur d’alcool, esprit dévoyé, meurtrier d’un brāhmaṇa ou profanateur du lit du guru : en se baignant là, l’homme devient aussitôt sans péché.

Word by Word

• गोघ्नः: a killer of a cow
• गोघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘गां हन्ति’ = cow-killer)

• सुरापः: a drinker of liquor
• सुरापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा + प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘सुरां पिबति’ = drinker of liquor)

• दुर्मेधा: a dull-witted person
• दुर्मेधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + मेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘दुष्टा मेधा यस्य’/‘दुष्टमेधाः’)

• ब्रह्महा: a slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘ब्रह्मणं हन्ति’ = slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the guru’s bed
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + तल्प + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति’ = one who violates the teacher’s bed)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• विपापः: sinless, free from sin
• विपापः: Karta-predicative (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (निष्पापः/पापरहितः)

• संप्रपद्यते: attains, becomes
• संप्रपद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context; explicit from v.16)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (snāna at the indicated tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/reciters; within the section Devī is addressed in adjacent verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent pilgrim descends stone steps into sacred waters at Prabhāsa; attendants hold water-pots and offerings; in the background rises the coastal shrine-landscape of Somnātha/Prabhāsa with banners and conch-sounds, conveying instant purification.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Pātakas (grave sins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is celebrated as exceptionally purifying, emphasizing repentance, sacred bathing, and the transformative power of holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha as a purificatory act akin to prāyaścitta.