Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

शरीरे यत्कृतं पापं नानाजन्मांतरेष्वपि । प्रायश्चितं हि सर्वेषामेतत्क्षेत्र परं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

śarīre yatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ nānājanmāṃtareṣvapi | prāyaścitaṃ hi sarveṣāmetatkṣetra paraṃ smṛtam

Translation

ശരീരത്താൽ ചെയ്ത പാപം—അനേകം ജന്മാന്തരങ്ങളിലായാലും—അവയൊക്കെയ്ക്കും പ്രായശ്ചിത്തമായി ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം പരമമെന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: whatever which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• कृतम्: done, committed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘पापम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाना: various, many
• नाना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रयोग)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable used adjectivally: ‘various’)

• जन्मान्तरेषु: in other births
• जन्मान्तरेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• प्रायश्चितम्: expiation, atonement
• प्रायश्चितम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (people)
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रम्: holy place/field (sacred region)
• क्षेत्रम्: Predicate/Complement (पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘एतत्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य-भावेन

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘क्षेत्रम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्मृतम्: is regarded/considered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया; कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषणम् (is considered)

Speaker

Narrator (or continuing instruction within the māhātmya; speaker not explicit in verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual identification)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim (or the king and followers) stands at the threshold of the sacred region; a luminous aura pervades the forest/kshetra; symbolic dark stains (sins) dissolve into light as the kṣetra is praised as supreme expiation.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya (implied by immediate context: etat-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography functions as grace: a consecrated kṣetra is portrayed as a powerful means of karmic purification beyond ordinary effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

“This kṣetra” refers to Dharmāraṇya in the immediate section context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single act is specified here; the verse asserts the kṣetra itself as a supreme prāyaścitta (expiatory means), implying pilgrimage/residence/observance there.