Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

मातापितरावूचतुः । एकः पापानि कुरुते फलं भुंक्ते महा जनः । भोक्तारो विप्रमुच्यंते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते

Transliteration

mātāpitarāvūcatuḥ | ekaḥ pāpāni kurute phalaṃ bhuṃkte mahā janaḥ | bhoktāro vipramucyaṃte kartā doṣeṇa lipyate

Translation

മാതാപിതാക്കൾ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഒരാൾ പാപം ചെയ്യുന്നു; ഫലം എന്നാൽ ഏതോ ‘മഹാജനൻ’ ഭോഗിക്കുന്നു. ഭോഗിക്കുന്നവർ മാത്രം ചിലപ്പോൾ മോചിതരാകാം; പക്ഷേ കർത്താവ് ദോഷത്തിൽ ലിപ്തനാകും.”

Word by Word

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पितरौ: (and) the two parents / father (dual usage in compound sense)
• पितरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकः: one person
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• कुरुते: does, commits
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• फलम्: the result, fruit
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys, experiences
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (जनः)

• जनः: person
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भोक्तारः: enjoyers (those who partake)
• भोक्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• विप्रमुच्यन्ते: are completely released
• विप्रमुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• कर्ता: the doer
• कर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• दोषेण: by/with fault (guilt)
• दोषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• लिप्यते: is tainted, is smeared
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Parents (mātā-pitarau)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Their son (the in-story questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The parents, calm and authoritative, explain karmic mechanics: the doer is stained, while the consumer of gains may be released; the son listens, troubled.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moral responsibility (kartṛtva) matters: even if others enjoy the profit, the one who commits wrongdoing accrues the दोष (fault) and karmic stain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (Prabhāsa region), though this verse itself focuses on ethical karma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it is an ethical teaching on karma, agency, and culpability.