Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां कृतस्नानो भवं संपूज्य भावतः । भवभावभवं पापं भस्मीभूतं भवार्चनात्

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ kṛtasnāno bhavaṃ saṃpūjya bhāvataḥ | bhavabhāvabhavaṃ pāpaṃ bhasmībhūtaṃ bhavārcanāt

Translation

Au jour de la Caturdaśī, après le bain purificateur, il vénéra Bhava d’un cœur fervent. Par l’adoration de Bhava, le péché né du devenir mondain et de ses entraves fut réduit en cendres.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the Caturdaśī (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• कृतस्नानः: one who has bathed
• कृतस्नानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: कृतं स्नानं येन (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• भावतः: devoutly / with true feeling
• भावतः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भावतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in spirit/with devotion)

• भवभावभवम्: arising from (one’s) attitude toward Bhava
• भवभावभवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव + भाव + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष): भवस्य भावः (भवभावः) तस्मात् भवम् (उत्पन्नम्) इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'पापम्' इति विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भस्मीभूतम्: reduced to ashes
• भस्मीभूतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मी + भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) 'भस्मीभू' (to become ashes); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'पापम्' इति विशेषणम्

• भवार्चनात्: from the worship of Bhava
• भवार्चनात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: भवस्य अर्चनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhava-sthāna (Śiva station) within Vastrāpatha/Prabhāsa circuit

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Caturdaśī, the pilgrim bathes, then worships Bhava with intense devotion; the verse imagines sin as combustible matter reduced to ash by Śiva-arcana.

Characters & Entities

• Caturdaśī
• Snāna
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Vastrāpatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of Śiva after ritual purity (snāna) burns away accumulated sin and inner bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra’s Śaiva presence, where Bhava is worshipped for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing on Caturdaśī followed by devoted worship (saṃpūjā) of Bhava (Śiva).