Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्तानि चीर्णानि पापानां नाशनाय । द्वारकायाश्च माहात्म्यं येन विस्तारितं कलौ

Transliteration

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni pāpānāṃ nāśanāya | dvārakāyāśca māhātmyaṃ yena vistāritaṃ kalau

Translation

പാപനാശത്തിനായി പ്രായശ്ചിത്തങ്ങൾ അനുഷ്ഠിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അതുപോലെ കലിയുഗത്തിൽ ആരാൽ ദ്വാരകയുടെ മാഹാത്മ്യം വ്യാപകമായി പ്രചരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നുവോ, അതും പാപക്ഷയകരമാണ്।

Word by Word

• प्रायश्चित्तानि: expiations / penances
• प्रायश्चित्तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• चीर्णानि: performed
• चीर्णानि: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘performed’

• पापानाम्: of sins
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• नाशनाय: for destruction
• नाशनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, चतुर्थी विभक्तिः (dative/4th), एकवचनम्

• द्वारकायाः: of Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (contextual), तृतीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• विस्तारितम्: expanded / propagated
• विस्तारितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तृ (धातु)
• Form: वि + स्तृ + णिच् (causative) + क्त (PPP): विस्तारित = caused to be spread/expanded; नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of devotees carries manuscripts and announces Dvārakā’s māhātmya in marketplaces and temple courtyards; the act is portrayed as cleansing darkness of Kali with lamp-like knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, spreading and honoring the sacred greatness (māhātmya) of Dvārakā is upheld as a potent means aligned with the purpose of expiation—removing sin and restoring dharmic purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā—celebrated as a supremely meritorious sacred place (sthāna) within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the general dharmic function of prāyaścitta and the Kali-yuga efficacy of disseminating Dvārakā’s māhātmya.