Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । अभिषेकाय नो देव नदी पापप्रणाशिनी । विलोक्यते सुरश्रेष्ठ देहि नो वरमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | abhiṣekāya no deva nadī pāpapraṇāśinī | vilokyate suraśreṣṭha dehi no varamuttamam

Translation

Les sages dirent : Ô Dieu, pour nos ablutions sacrées (abhiṣeka), nous désirons une rivière qui anéantisse les péchés. Ô le meilleur des dieux, accorde-nous cette grâce suprême.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अभिषेकाय: for consecration
• अभिषेकाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (for the purpose of consecration)

• नः: our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• नदी: the river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• पापप्रणाशिनी: destroyer of sins
• पापप्रणाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + प्रणाशिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य प्रणाशिनी)

• विलोक्यते: is seen
• विलोक्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is seen/appears)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां श्रेष्ठ)

• देहि: grant
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying varam)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (requested: pāpa-praṇāśinī nadī within/for the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages, palms joined, petition Brahmā for a sin-destroying river suitable for abhiṣeka; in the background, a river begins to manifest or is indicated as a divine gift flowing toward the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Brahmā
• Nadī (sin-destroying river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is sought not merely through effort but through sanctified sacred geography—rivers as vehicles of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request is for a pāpa-praṇāśinī nadī to support rites; within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya this anticipates the establishment/recognition of a tīrtha-river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka and associated snāna (ritual bathing) are explicitly indicated, with the requirement of a sin-destroying river.