Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शूद्राणामथ देवेशि मंत्रश्चाष्टाक्षरः स्मृतः । तत्र सोमेश्वरं गच्छेद्देवं पापहरं परम्

Transliteration

śūdrāṇāmatha deveśi maṃtraścāṣṭākṣaraḥ smṛtaḥ | tatra someśvaraṃ gaccheddevaṃ pāpaharaṃ param

Translation

Wahai Dewi, bagi kaum Śūdra telah ditetapkan mantra beraksara delapan. Kemudian hendaknya ia pergi ke sana menuju Tuhan Someśvara, Dewa Tertinggi yang melenyapkan dosa.

Word by Word

• शूद्राणाम्: of the Śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन (Plural)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse marker (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/then)

• देवेशि: O Goddess (Deveśī)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन (Singular)

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अष्टाक्षरः: eight-syllabled
• अष्टाक्षरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) मन्त्रस्य

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered
• स्मृतः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: there)

• सोमेश्वरम्: Someśvara (Lord Soma)
• सोमेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य ईश्वरः)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन (Singular); apposition to सोमेश्वरम्

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) देवम्; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पापं हरति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) देवम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced); addressee within verse: Devī (Deveśī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as Deveśi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim community including humble devotees approaches Someśvara; a priest or elder indicates an eight-syllable mantra; the shrine radiates a ‘pāpa-hara’ aura with lamps, bilva leaves, and calm faces of supplicants.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśī (Devī)
• Someśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic path extends accessible mantra-practice and directs all devotees toward Śiva whose grace destroys sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Someśvara at Prabhāsakṣetra, praised as a pāpa-hara (sin-destroying) deity-site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of an aṣṭākṣara (eight-syllable) mantra and pilgrimage/darśana of Someśvara.