Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तस्त्वं यदा स्यान्नृपसत्तम । प्रायश्चित्तेन योग्यः स्यास्ततो यज्ञस्य नान्यथा

Transliteration

sarvatīrthābhiṣiktastvaṃ yadā syānnṛpasattama | prāyaścittena yogyaḥ syāstato yajñasya nānyathā

Translation

Wahai raja terbaik, hanya ketika engkau telah disucikan melalui abhiṣeka di semua tīrtha barulah engkau, melalui prāyaścitta, layak bagi yajña—tidak dengan cara lain.

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तः: bathed/anointed in all sacred places
• सर्वतीर्थाभिषिक्तः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + सिच् (धातु) → अभिषिक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु अभिषिक्तः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-सम्बन्ध (when)

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• प्रायश्चित्तेन: by expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• योग्यः: fit / eligible
• योग्यः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thereupon/then)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual instructors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha (conceptual), implied Prabhāsa-ādi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa-sattama) within the story; also the broader audience via the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands before learned brāhmaṇas; behind them a symbolic map-like procession of many tīrthas; the king is ritually anointed (abhiṣikta) with waters from diverse sacred sources, signifying readiness for yajña.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• abhiṣeka (ritual bathing)
• prāyaścitta
• yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is tied to moral and ritual fitness; pilgrimage and expiation establish adhikāra for higher rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse extols ‘all tīrthas’ collectively (sarva-tīrtha) rather than naming one particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undergo tīrtha-bathing/purification and then prāyaścitta to become eligible to perform the yajña.