Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गर्हयन्नेवमात्मानं भूयोभूयः सुदुःखितः । धिङ्मां दुष्कृतकर्माणं पापकर्मरतं सदा

Transliteration

garhayannevamātmānaṃ bhūyobhūyaḥ suduḥkhitaḥ | dhiṅmāṃ duṣkṛtakarmāṇaṃ pāpakarmarataṃ sadā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖിതനായി അവൻ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സ്വയം തന്നെ കുറ്റപ്പെടുത്തി പറഞ്ഞു—“ധിക് എനിക്കു! ഞാൻ ദുഷ്കൃതകർമ്മം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, എപ്പോഴും പാപകർമ്മത്തിൽ ആസക്തൻ.”

Word by Word

• garhayan: censuring, blaming
• garhayan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garh (गर्ह् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक/manner adverb)

• ātmānam: oneself
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhūyaḥ-bhūyaḥ: again and again
• bhūyaḥ-bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय/तुलनात्मक)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति; पुनः पुनः/again and again)

• su-duḥkhitaḥ: very sorrowful
• su-duḥkhitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु+दुःखितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• dhiṅ: shame! fie!
• dhiṅ: Bhāva (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhiṅ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निन्दार्थक interjection)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; माम्)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• duṣkṛta-karmāṇam: one whose deeds are evil
• duṣkṛta-karmāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दुष्कृतं कर्म यस्य/दुष्कृतकर्मा; बहुधा बहुव्रीहिरूपेण), अत्र द्वितीया, एकवचन; माम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• pāpa-karma-ratam: devoted to sinful acts
• pāpa-karma-ratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पापकर्मणि रतः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; माम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नित्यत्वे/always)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; the repentant man is being described)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of tīrtha-inquirers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage stands or sits with head bowed, hands clasped or on chest, eyes moist; he repeats ‘dhik mām’ in anguish, surrounded by quiet āśrama space.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Genuine remorse and self-critique are the first steps toward abandoning pāpa and turning to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse; it sets up repentance that will lead to seeking guidance and remedial practice.