Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

ऊषरं कर्मणां क्षेत्रं पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । न प्ररोहंति पापानि पुनर्नष्टानि तत्र वै

Transliteration

ūṣaraṃ karmaṇāṃ kṣetraṃ puṇyaṃ pāpavināśanam | na prarohaṃti pāpāni punarnaṣṭāni tatra vai

Translation

அப்புண்யக்ஷேத்திரம் பாவச் செயல்களுக்கு உப்புநிலம் போன்றது—பாவநாசி. அங்கே அழிந்த பாவங்கள் மீண்டும் ஒருபோதும் முளைக்காது।

Word by Word

• ūṣaram: barren, sterile
• ūṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• karmaṇām: of actions/deeds
• karmaṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• kṣetram: field, place
• kṣetram: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• puṇyam: holy, meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular)

• pāpa-vināśanam: destroyer of sin
• pāpa-vināśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य विनाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• prarohanti: sprout, grow forth
• prarohanti: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ruh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada)

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• naṣṭāni: destroyed, perished
• naṣṭāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pāpāni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Past passive participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha-bodhaka/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic field around Dvārakā where dark seeds labeled ‘pāpa’ fail to sprout, while pilgrims bathe and emerge luminous—sin dissolving like ink in water.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Pāpa
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly sanctified tīrtha not only removes sin but prevents its recurrence, symbolizing deep inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its sacred region, praised as a pāpa-vināśana kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the verse speaks of the inherent purifying efficacy of the kṣetra.