Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स कदाचिच्चरन्पापः पुष्करे तु जगाम वै । ददर्श शांकरं वेश्म लतापादपसंकुलम्

Transliteration

sa kadāciccaranpāpaḥ puṣkare tu jagāma vai | dadarśa śāṃkaraṃ veśma latāpādapasaṃkulam

Translation

Cet homme pécheur, errant çà et là, se rendit un jour à Puṣkara. Là, il vit une demeure de Śaṅkara, un sanctuaire śaiva, tout envahi de lianes et d’arbres.

Word by Word

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

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• चरन्: wandering, moving about
• चरन्: Karta (कर्ता/Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• पापः: a sinner, wicked man
• पापः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्करे: at Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

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

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• शांकरम्: Śaiva, belonging to Śaṅkara
• शांकरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; qualifier of वेश्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक; शङ्कर-सम्बन्धिन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• वेश्म: house, dwelling
• वेश्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लता-पादप-संकुलम्: crowded with creepers and trees
• लता-पादप-संकुलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; qualifier of वेश्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लता (प्रातिपदिक) + पादप (प्रातिपदिक) + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘लताभिः पादपैश्च संकुलम्’ (crowded with creepers and trees)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering fisherman arrives at Puṣkara and beholds a Śaiva shrine—Śaṅkara’s dwelling—nearly swallowed by creepers and trees, evoking both abandonment and latent power.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Śaiva shrine/veśma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place and a neglected shrine can still become the doorway to merit when encountered, even by a sinner.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is mentioned as the immediate locale, within a broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets the scene for an unintended act that yields sacred consequence.