Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स त्वं पापसमाचारो बाल्यात्प्रभृति पार्थिव । असंख्यं पातकं तस्मात्तीर्थयात्रां समाचर

Transliteration

sa tvaṃ pāpasamācāro bālyātprabhṛti pārthiva | asaṃkhyaṃ pātakaṃ tasmāttīrthayātrāṃ samācara

Translation

ഹേ പാർത്ഥിവാ! നീ ബാല്യകാലം മുതൽ പാപാചാരത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; നിന്റെ പാതകങ്ങൾ അസംഖ്യം. അതിനാൽ നീ തീർത്ഥയാത്ര ആചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• सः: he / that (person)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• पापसमाचारः: one whose conduct is sinful
• पापसमाचारः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + समाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (पापः समाचारः / पापस्य समाचारः)

• बाल्यात्: from childhood
• बाल्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रभृति: since / from onward
• प्रभृति: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिक/कालवाचक (since/from)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असंख्यम्: countless
• असंख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage to sacred places
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य यात्रा)

• समाचर: undertake / practice
• समाचर: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual instructors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa and allied tīrthas (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas admonish the king with compassionate severity; the king, chastened, prepares for pilgrimage—staff, water pot, simple garments—while a map-like procession of tīrthas (rivers, temples, ghats) appears as a narrative backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)
• tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When burdened by heavy wrongdoing, purification is sought through dharmic remedies—especially pilgrimage and disciplined correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā in general; specific named tīrthas are not mentioned in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as a purificatory step prior to further ritual qualification.