Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्द्धके यौवनेऽपि यत् । करोति मानवो राजंस्तस्मात्पापात्प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

bālye vayasi yatpāpaṃ vārddhake yauvane'pi yat | karoti mānavo rājaṃstasmātpāpātpramucyate

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! മനുഷ്യൻ ബാല്യത്തിൽ, യൗവനത്തിൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വാർദ്ധക്യത്തിലും ചെയ്ത ഏതു പാപവും, (ഈ പുണ്യദർശനത്താൽ) ആ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകും।

Word by Word

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वयसि: at an age
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

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

• वार्द्धके: in old age
• वार्द्धके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्द्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a man/human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is released/freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāvināyaka (Arbuda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya’s words appear as a blessing: the king listens; behind, Mahāvināyaka’s serene form radiates, symbolically dissolving dark stains of sin from devotees of all ages.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāvināyaka (implied)
• King (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere sacred contact and devotion can purify even long-standing karmic burdens, regardless of when they were incurred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahāvināyaka’s darśana-place in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of Mahāvināyaka is presented as the purifying act.