Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

अवश्यं च मया कार्यं तेषां पापविमोचनम् । भिक्षां भ्रमामि मध्याह्ने अतीते भस्मगुंठितः

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ ca mayā kāryaṃ teṣāṃ pāpavimocanam | bhikṣāṃ bhramāmi madhyāhne atīte bhasmaguṃṭhitaḥ

Translation

Il me faut assurément opérer la délivrance de leurs péchés. Quand le midi est passé, couvert de cendre, je vais de lieu en lieu en quête d’aumône.

Word by Word

• अवश्यम्: certainly/necessarily
• अवश्यम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent expressed in instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Pronoun, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• कार्यम्: a duty/what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कार्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Verbal noun/gerundive sense, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Plural

• पापविमोचनम्: release from sin
• पापविमोचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-विमोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य विमोचनम्) — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• भिक्षाम्: alms
• भिक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• भ्रमामि: I wander
• भ्रमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 1st person, Singular (Parasmaipada)

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• अतीते: when (it) has passed
• अतीते: Adhikarana-visheshana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-इ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (अतीत), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘मध्याह्ने’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् — Past participle used adjectivally, Locative Singular

• भस्मगुंठितः: smeared/covered with ash
• भस्मगुंठितः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म-गुंठित (प्रातिपदिक; गुंठ् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (भस्मना गुंठितः) — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dadhīci

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, body smeared with bhasma, wanders after midday as a mendicant (bhikṣāṭana), holding a begging bowl; devotees offer alms, and a subtle aura suggests sins being lifted from them.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhikṣā
• Bhasma
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion reaches devotees through humble forms, turning charity and devotion into purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa), where Śiva’s presence is portrayed as directly purifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā-dāna (offering alms) to the ash-smeared ascetic form of Śiva is implied as a means of sin-removal.