Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सर्वपापहरं दिव्यं स्वर्गसोपानसंनिभम् । सपादकोटितीर्थानां स्थानं तत्परिकीर्तितम

Transliteration

sarvapāpaharaṃ divyaṃ svargasopānasaṃnibham | sapādakoṭitīrthānāṃ sthānaṃ tatparikīrtitama

Translation

അത് ദിവ്യമാണ്, സർവ്വപാപഹരമാണ്, സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലേക്കുള്ള പടിക്കെട്ടുപോലെ; ‘സപാദകോടി’ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളുടെ അധിഷ്ഠാനമായി അത് പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (स्थानम् इति विशेषण) समासः—सर्वपापं हरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्राय)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्थानम् इति विशेषण

• स्वर्गसोपानसंनिभम्: like a stairway to heaven
• स्वर्गसोपानसंनिभम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + सोपान + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्थानम् इति विशेषण; समासः—स्वर्गस्य सोपानम् इव संनिभम् (तत्पुरुष)

• सपादकोटितीर्थानाम्: of (one and a quarter) crores of tīrthas
• सपादकोटितीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + पाद + कोटि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—सपादकोटीनां तीर्थानाम् (तत्पुरुष); ‘सपाद’ = स + पाद (अव्ययीभावप्राय: ‘with a quarter more’)

• स्थानम्: abode, place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्थानम् इति विशेषण

• परिकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed/celebrated
• परिकीर्तितम्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्थानम् इति विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra as Sapāda-koṭi-tīrtha-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred landscape with countless miniature tīrtha icons (rivers, kuṇḍas, ghāṭas) emanating light, forming a symbolic staircase rising toward Svarga; pilgrims bathe and offer lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is portrayed as a transformative gateway—purifying sin and elevating the pilgrim toward higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Daśāśvamedha-associated sacred place in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised as the ‘abode’ of innumerable tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse emphasizes the intrinsic purificatory power of the site.