Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो देवि मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया । सप्त जन्मानि विप्रत्वं शूद्रस्यापि प्रजा यते

Transliteration

tatra snātvā naro devi mucyate brahmahatyayā | sapta janmāni vipratvaṃ śūdrasyāpi prajā yate

Translation

ഹേ ദേവീ! അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകുന്നു. ശൂദ്രജന്മനായാലും ഏഴ് ജന്മങ്ങൾ വരെ വിപ്രത്വം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is released)

• ब्रह्महत्यया: from/with (the sin of) brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्यया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्यā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्तार्थे (because of/with respect to)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘जन्मानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जन्मानि: births
• जन्मानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विप्रत्वम्: brahminhood
• विप्रत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शूद्रस्य: of a Śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (inclusion/emphasis)

• प्रजा: offspring, progeny
• प्रजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यते: arises/comes about
• यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘याति’ अर्थे (goes/comes to be)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhodaka (at Śaṃkhāvartta)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees bathe in a conch-shaped sacred pool; the water glows; a symbolic dark stain (sin) dissolves from the bather; in the background, Viṣṇu’s presence is felt through conch and chakra emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkhodaka/Śaṃkhāvartta tīrtha
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with sacred bathing is portrayed as a powerful purifier, restoring the soul toward dharma and higher spiritual eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bathing merit is attributed to the Śaṃkhāvartta/Śaṅkhodaka tīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha is prescribed as a means of purification and expiation.