Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तेषां भयविनाशाय ता मातॄश्च प्रपूजयेत् । अस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति

Transliteration

teṣāṃ bhayavināśāya tā mātṝśca prapūjayet | asmiṃstīrthe naraḥ snātvā brahmahatyāṃ vyapohati

Translation

അവരുടെ ഭയം നശിപ്പാൻ ആ മാതൃദേവിമാരെ യഥാവിധി പൂജിക്കണം. ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപവും നീക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• भयविनाशाय: for the destruction of fear
• भयविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘destruction of fear’)

• ताः: them
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine pronoun)

• मातॄः: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातॄः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter pronoun)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having bathed’

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘killing of a brāhmaṇa’)

• व्यपोहति: removes; dispels
• व्यपोहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अप + ऊह्/अपोह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptaprayāga

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a hidden confluence performs snāna; nearby a shrine/maṇḍala of the Sapta/Ashta Mātṛkās is worshipped with lamps and flowers; the atmosphere suggests secrecy and protection, with Śiva’s presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛs
• Tīrtha (Prabhāsa)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent worship and tīrtha-bathing are portrayed as powerful remedies for fear and even the gravest moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular supreme tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, acclaimed as sarva-pāpa-nāśaka and capable of removing brahmahatyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prapūjā (earnest worship) of the Mātṛs and snāna (bathing) in the stated tīrtha for purification and fear-dispelling.