Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तद्भुज्यतां पापं जातं वैष्णवनिंदनात् । तत्रत्यानां प्रभुर्नैव यम ईष्टे महेश्वरः

Transliteration

tasmāttadbhujyatāṃ pāpaṃ jātaṃ vaiṣṇavaniṃdanāt | tatratyānāṃ prabhurnaiva yama īṣṭe maheśvaraḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് വൈഷ്ണവനിന്ദയിൽ നിന്നുണ്ടായ ആ പാപം അനുഭവിച്ച് ക്ഷയിപ്പിക്കണം; അവിടെ വസിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് യമൻ പ്രഭുവല്ല, മഹേശ്വരനാണ് പരമാധിപതി ആരാധ്യൻ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Cause/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः अव्ययवत् (ablatival adverbial use: 'therefore/from that')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भुज्यताम्: let it be undergone
• भुज्यताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

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

• जातम्: arisen
• जातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वैष्णवनिन्दनात्: from censuring the Vaiṣṇavas
• वैष्णवनिन्दनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव + निन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वैष्णवानां निन्दनम्)

• तत्रत्यानाम्: of those living there
• तत्रत्यानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्र + त्य (प्रातिपदिक: तत्रत्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तद्धितान्त (resident-there)

• प्रभुः: lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईष्टे: rules/has authority
• ईष्टे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महेश्वरः: Mahādeva (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Jayanta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Yama stands at a distance with lowered authority, while Maheśvara is honored as the presiding power over the kṣetra; a penitent devotee bears the weight of sin dissolving like smoke, indicating ‘bhujyata’ and kṣaya.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavas
• Yama
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Dwārakā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin must be borne and exhausted; in holy realms, divine guardianship is emphasized over ordinary punitive destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dwārakā (context), portrayed as a sacred domain with special spiritual governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general principle of expiation: to “undergo” and thereby exhaust the fruit of aparādha; no specific rite is detailed.