Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्द्धके यौवनेऽपि वा । क्षालयेच्चैव तत्सर्वं दृष्ट्वा रत्नेश्वरं नरः

Transliteration

bālye vayasi yatpāpaṃ vārddhake yauvane'pi vā | kṣālayeccaiva tatsarvaṃ dṛṣṭvā ratneśvaraṃ naraḥ

Translation

Quel que soit le péché commis dans l’enfance, la jeunesse ou même la vieillesse—en contemplant Ratneśvara, l’homme en lave la totalité et s’en trouve purifié.

Word by Word

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in childhood

• वयसि: in (any) age
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in age/time of life

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — whatever

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — sin

• वार्द्धके: in old age
• वार्द्धके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्द्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in old age

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in youth

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• क्षालयेत्: should cleanse
• क्षालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — should wash away

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (particle: indeed/just)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — that

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — all

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) — having seen

• रत्नेश्वरम्: Ratneśvara (a form of Śiva)
• रत्नेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — Ratneśvara (Lord Ratna)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — a man

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim of many years stands before Ratneśvara; a luminous wash flows from the liṅga like cleansing water, symbolically removing dark stains labeled childhood, youth, and old-age sins.

Characters & Entities

• Ratneśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana at a revered kṣetra is portrayed as a purifier capable of erasing accumulated sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of Ratneśvara is emphasized as the key salvific act.