Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

गवा हता द्विजहता ये च वै दंष्ट्रिभिर्हता । आत्मनो घातका ये तु सर्पदष्टाश्च ये मृताः

Transliteration

gavā hatā dvijahatā ye ca vai daṃṣṭribhirhatā | ātmano ghātakā ye tu sarpadaṣṭāśca ye mṛtāḥ

Translation

പശുവിന്റെ ആഘാതത്തിൽ മരിച്ചവർ, ബ്രാഹ്മണഹത്യയുടെ പാപഫലമായി മരിച്ചവർ, ദംഷ്ട്രധാരികളായ മൃഗങ്ങൾ കൊന്നവർ, ആത്മഹത്യ ചെയ്തവർ, സർപ്പദംശത്തിൽ മരിച്ചവർ—അവരും (ഇവിടെ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു).

Word by Word

• गवाः: cows
• गवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हताः: killed
• हताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘हत’ = slain

• द्विजहताः: killed by/through a brāhmaṇa (or: those for whom a brāhmaṇa was killed)
• द्विजहताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज + हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजस्य हतः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दंष्ट्रिभिः: by fanged creatures
• दंष्ट्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; दंष्ट्रा-युक्ताः (fang-bearing creatures)

• हताः: killed
• हताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• घातकाः: killers
• घातकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• सर्पदष्टाः: bitten by a snake
• सर्पदष्टाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प + दष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (सर्पेण दष्टः)

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate panorama: souls of those who died by accident (cow-related), by grievous sin (brahma-hatyā consequence), by wild beasts, by suicide, and by snakebite are shown approaching a luminous Prabhāsa shrine; the kṣetra’s radiance purifies them.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃgāleśvara
• Prabhāsa
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa’s tīrtha-mahātmya emphasizes that divine grace and holy places can extend even to those who met difficult or blame-laden deaths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in connection with Saṃgāleśvara and its sin-removing fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it lists categories of deaths within a broader discourse on tīrtha-merit.