Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

निवृत्ते भारते युद्धे तत्र तीर्थे किरीटिना । प्रायश्चित्तं पुरा चीर्णं विष्णुना प्रेरिता त्मना

Transliteration

nivṛtte bhārate yuddhe tatra tīrthe kirīṭinā | prāyaścittaṃ purā cīrṇaṃ viṣṇunā preritā tmanā

Translation

Après la fin de la guerre du Bhārata, en ce tīrtha le Diadémé (Arjuna) accomplit jadis l’expiation (prāyaścitta), poussé intérieurement par Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• nivṛtte: when (it) had ended
• nivṛtte: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-vṛt (धातु) → nivṛtta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle) — ‘having ceased/ended’

• bhārate: in the Bhārata (war/episode)
• bhārate: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• yuddhe: in the war
• yuddhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable); देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• kirīṭinā: by the diademed one (Arjuna)
• kirīṭinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kirīṭin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• prāyaścittam: expiation
• prāyaścittam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable); कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• cīrṇam: performed
• cīrṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) → cīrṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (Acc./Nom. Singular) — here agreeing with prāyaścittam

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• preritā: impelled
• preritā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-īr (धातु) → prerita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Singular) — intended with ātmā/ātmanā sense ‘impelled’ (text has sandhi irregularity)

• ātmanā: by (his) self
• ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naratīrtha (contextual locus of Arjuna’s prāyaścitta)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna, the diademed hero, stands at a sacred ford after the war, subdued and reflective, performing expiatory rites; Viṣṇu’s presence is suggested as an inner light or subtle form guiding him.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (Kirīṭin)
• Viṣṇu
• Bhārata war (Mahābhārata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great heroes seek purification after violence; sacred places support repentance and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra where Arjuna performed prāyaścitta (contextually linked with the nearby named tīrthas in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta—acts of expiation/atonement—performed at the tīrtha.