Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्ती सदा पुत्र पूजयानोऽपि शंकरम् । विना केशवपूजाभिः पापं भजति गोवधम्

Transliteration

prāyaścittī sadā putra pūjayāno'pi śaṃkaram | vinā keśavapūjābhiḥ pāpaṃ bhajati govadham

Translation

“Wahai anak, sekalipun seseorang senantiasa melakukan prāyaścitta dan juga memuja Śaṅkara, namun tanpa pemujaan kepada Keśava, ia menanggung dosa sebanding dengan pembunuhan sapi.”

Word by Word

• प्रायश्चित्ती: one who performs expiation
• प्रायश्चित्ती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रायश्चित्त-शीलः (one who performs expiation)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पूजयानः: worshipping
• पूजयानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (one who is worshipping)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Adverbial/Relation (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition) ‘without’; तृतीया-सम्बन्ध (governs instrumental sense)

• केशवपूजाभिः: by/with worships of Keśava
• केशवपूजाभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (पूजा), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (केशवस्य पूजा)

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

• भजति: incurs/partakes
• भजति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गोवधम्: cow-slaughter (sin)
• गोवधम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां वधः)

Speaker

Pretas (Candraśarman’s forefathers)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘पुत्र’—the addressed human interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pretas (or a teacher) deliver a stern pronouncement: on one side, a worshipper offers to a Śiva-liṅga; on the other, Keśava’s shrine stands unattended. A symbolic cow appears as a moral emblem, not as violence—indicating the severity of the sin-comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Śaṅkara
• prāyaścitta
• govadha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The passage asserts the primacy of Keśava-worship in this Vaiṣṇava context; other practices are framed as incomplete without it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s Vaiṣṇava supremacy is highlighted, where devotion to Keśava/Vāsudeva is treated as central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Include Keśava-pūjā as an essential component alongside expiation and other worship.