Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततो दुःखाभिसंतप्तो गतस्तत्रैव तत्क्षणात् । रक्तबंधमनुप्राप्तो विपाप्मा सोऽभवत्पुनः

Transliteration

tato duḥkhābhisaṃtapto gatastatraiva tatkṣaṇāt | raktabaṃdhamanuprāpto vipāpmā so'bhavatpunaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ଦୁଃଖରେ ଦଗ୍ଧ ହୋଇ ସେ ସେହି କ୍ଷଣରେ ହିଁ ପୁନଃ ସେଠାକୁ ଗଲା। ରକ୍ତବନ୍ଧକୁ ପୁନର୍ବାର ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରି ସେ ଆଉଥରେ ପାପମୁକ୍ତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then)

• दुःखाभिसंतप्तः: tormented by sorrow
• दुःखाभिसंतप्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + संतप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्रायः: 'दुःखेन अभिसंतप्तः' (afflicted by sorrow)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'gone'

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis: just/indeed)

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुषप्रायः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः: 'तत् क्षणात्' = immediately (from that moment)

• रक्तबंधम्: the blood-bond; blood-tie
• रक्तबंधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्तस्य बन्धः)

• अनुप्राप्तः: attained; reached
• अनुप्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + प्र + आप् (धातु) → अनुप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'having reached/attained'

• विपाप्मा: free from sin
• विपाप्मा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (one free from sin/evil)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभवत्: became; was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (again)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raktabandha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, burning with grief, rushes back to Raktabandha; upon arrival the dark signs lift and his face brightens, indicating renewed sinlessness.

Characters & Entities

• Raktabandha / Raktānubandha (tīrtha)
• king (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one falls, repentance and immediate return to dharma—through tīrtha and right conduct—restores purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raktabandha/Raktānubandha Tīrtha on Arbuda, portrayed as a powerful place of repeated pāpa-kṣaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta by returning to the tīrtha and seeking purification again (implied through renewed snāna and observance).