Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

परैरभिहतो युद्धे न्यंकुमत्यास्तटे शुभे । शिवपूजाविधानेन विध्वस्ताशेषपातकः

Transliteration

parairabhihato yuddhe nyaṃkumatyāstaṭe śubhe | śivapūjāvidhānena vidhvastāśeṣapātakaḥ

Translation

ന്യങ്കുമതിയുടെ ശുഭതീരത്തിൽ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ മറ്റുള്ളവരാൽ പ്രഹരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിട്ടും, ശിവപൂജാവിധി യഥാവിധി അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചതിനാൽ അവന്റെ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളും നശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• परैः: by others/enemies
• परैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• अभिहतः: struck/attacked
• अभिहतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृवाच्य-विशेषणम्

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• न्यंकुमत्याः: of Nyankumatī (river)
• न्यंकुमत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यंकुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (तटे इति विशेष्य)

• शिवपूजाविधानेन: by the procedure of Śiva-worship
• शिवपूजाविधानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-पूजा-विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य पूजा = शिवपूजा; शिवपूजायाः विधानम्)

• विध्वस्त: destroyed
• विध्वस्त: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√ध्वंस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (समासपूर्वपद)

• अशेषपातकः: all sins
• अशेषपातकः: Karta (Subject complement; in compound with vidhvasta-)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष-पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (अशेषं पातकम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nyaṃkumatī-taṭa (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fallen warrior on the bright riverbank of Nyaṃkumatī; attendants or sages perform orderly Śiva-pūjā beside a liṅga, with the river shimmering—suggesting sin dissolving like dark smoke into light.

Characters & Entities

• Nyaṃkumatī (river)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-pūjā performed according to dharma has the power to eradicate even accumulated wrongdoing, especially when connected to a sacred tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The auspicious bank (taṭa) of the river Nyaṃkumatī within the Prabhāsa sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā “by the prescribed method” (vidhāna), implying rule-based worship rather than casual offering.