Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततो ज्ञात्वा महत्पापं दुहितुः कामसंभवम् । घृणया परया युक्तः प्रभासं क्षेत्रमागतः

Transliteration

tato jñātvā mahatpāpaṃ duhituḥ kāmasaṃbhavam | ghṛṇayā parayā yuktaḥ prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāgataḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സ്വന്തം പുത്രിയോടുള്ള കാമത്തിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ച മഹാപാപം അറിഞ്ഞ്, ഗാഢമായ പശ്ചാത്താപത്തോടെ പുണ്യമായ പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് അദ്ദേഹം എത്തി।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Discourse connector (Anvaya/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having known’

• महत्-पापम्: great sin
• महत्-पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of ज्ञात्वा)

• दुहितुः: of (his) daughter
• दुहितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काम-संभवम्: arising from desire
• काम-संभवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+भू)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of पापम्)

• घृणया: with compassion
• घृणया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/भाव (with compassion)

• परया: supreme/great
• परया: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of घृणया)

• युक्तः: endowed (with)
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘endowed/connected’

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देश/तीर्थ-नाम

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गतिकर्म (object of motion)

• आगतः: arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (Main predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the sages / or a addressed interlocutor ("varānane" appears in nearby verses as direct address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorse-stricken pilgrim, head bowed, approaches the sandy, sea-breezed sacred expanse of Prabhāsa with distant temple silhouettes and tīrtha markers; his posture conveys confession and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognition of wrongdoing should lead to remorse and a turn toward sacred places and dharmic expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is explicitly named as the destination for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied prāyaścitta through pilgrimage; specific acts (snāna, liṅga स्थापना) follow in subsequent verses.