Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पदेपदे निधानानि संति तीर्थान्यनेकशः । येषां स्मरणमात्रेण सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत्

Transliteration

padepade nidhānāni saṃti tīrthānyanekaśaḥ | yeṣāṃ smaraṇamātreṇa sarvapāpakṣayo bhavet

Translation

ഇവിടെ പടിപടിയായി നിധികളുപോലെ അനവധി തീർത്ഥങ്ങളുണ്ട്; അവയെ സ്മരിക്കുന്നതുമാത്രംകൊണ്ട് സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पदे: in a step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (locative used adverbially)

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

• निधानानि: treasures
• निधानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• अनेकशः: in many ways / many times
• अनेकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner/frequency)

• येषाम्: of which/whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मरणमात्रेण: by mere remembrance
• स्मरणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—मात्र-तत्पुरुष (केवलस्मरणम्)

• सर्वपापक्षयः: destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—(सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयः) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• भवेत्: would occur / happens
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra tīrthas (countless)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks a path where each footprint reveals a glowing tīrtha-symbol (linga, confluence, kund); above, a halo of remembered tīrtha-names dissolves dark sin-smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Smaraṇa (remembrance)
• Pāpa-kṣaya (sin-destruction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places carry such potency that even mindful remembrance (smaraṇa) can purify, emphasizing devotion and sacred memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-network of Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, depicted as densely filled with sanctifying sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (devout remembrance) is highlighted as an efficacious practice; pilgrimage and snāna are implied but not stated.