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

മകനേ, എപ്പോഴും പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ചെയ്ത് ശങ്കരനെ പൂജിച്ചാലും—കേശവപൂജ ഇല്ലാതെ—അവൻ ഗോഹത്യാസമമായ പാപം ഏറ്റെടുക്കുന്നു।

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.