Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कालिंद्यां मथुरायां च सकृद्याति नरो यदि । सदोषो मुच्यते दोषैर्ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः कृतैः

Transliteration

kāliṃdyāṃ mathurāyāṃ ca sakṛdyāti naro yadi | sadoṣo mucyate doṣairbrahmahatyādibhiḥ kṛtaiḥ

Translation

ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ ഒരിക്കൽപോലും കാലിന്ദി (യമുന)യും മഥുരയും സന്ദർശിച്ചാൽ, ദോഷങ്ങളുള്ളവനായാലും ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാദി ചെയ്ത പാപദോഷങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകും.

Word by Word

• कालिन्द्याम्: on/in the Kāliṇdī (Yamunā)
• कालिन्द्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (feminine, locative singular)

• मथुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• मथुरायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (feminine, locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (and)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (frequency adverb: “once”)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg, active)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle: “if”)

• सदोषः: having faults/sinful
• सदोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गवत्) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular); तत्पुरुषः (दोषैः सह)

• मुच्यते: is released/freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg)

• दोषैः: from faults
• दोषैः: Apādāna (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental plural)

• ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः: such as brahmahatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa) etc.
• ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental plural); तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-दोषैः)

• कृतैः: committed/done
• कृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘दोषैः’)

Speaker

Narrator of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāliṇdī (Yamunā)–Mathurā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nara/rajā addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reaches the Yamunā’s dark-blue waters, bathes once, then proceeds to Mathurā’s temple city; a subtle aura lifts from the pilgrim symbolizing sins falling away.

Characters & Entities

• Kāliṇdī (Yamunā)
• Mathurā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to supremely sacred places is portrayed as powerful expiation, capable of dissolving even severe sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāliṇdī (Yamunā River) and Mathurā are directly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A single visit (sakṛd-yātrā) is emphasized; the implied observance is tīrtha-yātrā with snāna and devotion.