Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

धारयामि शिरस्येनं लोकमध्ये विभूषणम् । इदं चिन्तयतः पापमेवं देवेन दर्शितम्

Transliteration

dhārayāmi śirasyenaṃ lokamadhye vibhūṣaṇam | idaṃ cintayataḥ pāpamevaṃ devena darśitam

Translation

உலகின் நடுவே ஒரு அலங்காரமாக இதை நான் தலைமேல் தாங்குவேன். என் மனத்தை வருத்திய பாவத்தைத் தெய்வம் இவ்வாறு வெளிப்படுத்தியது.

Word by Word

• धारयामि: I bear/wear
• धारयामि: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; causative? (धारयति from √धृ, here simple present ‘I hold/wear’)

• शिरसि: on (my) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• एनम्: this (one/it)
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; निकटवाचक (this/him/it)

• लोकमध्ये: in the midst of the world
• लोकमध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य मध्ये)

• विभूषणम्: as an ornament
• विभूषणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म-सम्बन्धे (as an ornament)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चिन्तयतः: of (one) thinking
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle) ‘thinking’; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘of (me) thinking’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दर्शितम्: was shown
• दर्शितम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘shown’

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (implied, continuing counsel)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva / Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king lifts the lotus to his head like a crown, transforming an object of desire into an emblem of devotion; a divine ray reveals the ‘sin’ as a shadow leaving his mind.

Characters & Entities

• deva (the deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and acceptance of divine correction transform inner impurity into a public vow of reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding narrative glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where divine guidance and purification bear swift fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow-like act is implied—bearing the sacred object on one’s head as a sign of reverence and repentance.