Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

छत्रोपानद्विहीनस्तु भिक्षाशी विजितेंद्रियः । महापातकजैर्घोरैर्विप्रः पापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

chatropānadvihīnastu bhikṣāśī vijiteṃdriyaḥ | mahāpātakajairghorairvipraḥ pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

കുടയും പാദരക്ഷയും ഇല്ലാതെ ഭിക്ഷാഹാരത്തിൽ ജീവിച്ച് ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ജയിച്ച ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ, മഹാപാതകങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ഭീകരപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• छत्र-उपानद्-विहीनः: devoid of umbrella and footwear
• छत्र-उपानद्-विहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उपानद् (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (कृदन्त; √हा (धातु) क्त, उपसर्गः वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (छत्रेण उपानदा च विहीनः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• भिक्षा-शी: living on alms (alms-eater)
• भिक्षा-शी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + शी (कृदन्त; √अश् (धातु) शतृ/शिन्-प्रत्यय; ‘eating’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (भिक्षां शीलयति/अश्नाति इति)

• विजित-इन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• विजित-इन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजित (कृदन्त; √जि (धातु) क्त, उपसर्गः वि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य इन्द्रियाणि विजितानि सः)

• महापातक-जैः: arising from great sins
• महापातक-जैः: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √जन् (धातु) क्त/ज-प्रत्यय ‘born of/produced by’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (महापातकेभ्यः जातैः)

• घोरैः: terrible
• घोरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is released/freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Īśvarī (Pārvatī) or a Devī addressed in this dialogue-context (Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (vocative: mahādevi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa pilgrim, barefoot and without umbrella, carries a begging bowl and walks under the open sky toward Prabhāsa; dark, smoky forms symbolizing mahāpātaka-sins dissolve behind him as he maintains restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and self-restraint during pilgrimage function as powerful purification, capable of dissolving even grave karmic stains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrtha discipline, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage with austerities—no umbrella/footwear, alms-eating, and sense-control—is described as a means of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).