Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पापं कुत्सितमित्याहुस्तस्य सन्तापकारिणः । अष्ट चैवं मतास्तस्मात्कुतपा इति विश्रुताः

Transliteration

pāpaṃ kutsitamityāhustasya santāpakāriṇaḥ | aṣṭa caivaṃ matāstasmātkutapā iti viśrutāḥ

Translation

പാപത്തെ ‘കുത്സിതം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു—അത് നിന്ദ്യവും സന്താപം വരുത്തുന്നതുമാണ്. അതിനാൽ ഇവ എട്ടായി കണക്കാക്കി ‘കുതപ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विषयः (that which is being defined)

• कुत्सितम्: blameworthy/condemned
• कुत्सितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपातः (quotative particle)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘आह’ परस्मैपद-प्रयोगः)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect; used as present ‘they say’), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of that/of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• सन्तापकारिणः: of the distress-causing (one/thing)
• सन्तापकारिणः: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्ताप + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सन्तापं करोति’ इति (causing distress)

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Saṅkhyā (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचकं (numeral), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘eight’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (manner adverb)

• मताः: are considered
• मताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘considered/held to be’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमीविभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ (therefore)

• कुतपाः: kutapas (a set of eight items/periods)
• कुतपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• इति: as/called
• इति: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशार्थक-निपातः (thus-called)

• विश्रुताः: are renowned
• विश्रुताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वि-उपसर्गपूर्वक-क्त कृदन्तः (PPP), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘well-known’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned ācārya explains the etymology and moral weight of pāpa to pilgrims at Prabhāsa; the sea and Somnātha-kṣetra ambience frames a didactic moment.

Characters & Entities

• Kutapa
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is framed as protection from pāpa; the Kutapa set is praised as a recognized safeguard.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where śrāddha is taught as a dharmic practice with named purifying supports.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Treat the enumerated sanctifiers as an ‘eightfold’ Kutapa set to counteract impurity in śrāddha.