Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अज्ञानाद्वादयेद्यस्तु वीणां चैव तथा स्वरान् । स तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थं तत्र गच्छेन्महेश्वरि

Transliteration

ajñānādvādayedyastu vīṇāṃ caiva tathā svarān | sa tatpātakaśuddhyarthaṃ tatra gacchenmaheśvari

Translation

ఓ మహేశ్వరీ, అజ్ఞానవశాత్ వీణను మరియు స్వరాలను తప్పుగా వాయించువాడు, ఆ పాపశుద్ధి కోసం అక్కడికి వెళ్లవలెను.

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• वादयेत्: should play/should cause to sound
• वादयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वादय् (धातु; √वद्-प्रेरण/णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• वीणाम्: the vīṇā (lute)
• वीणाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्वरान्: notes/tones
• स्वरान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

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

• तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purification of that sin
• तत्पातकशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः: (तत्-पातकस्य) शुद्ध्यर्थम् = 'for the purpose of purification of that sin'

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

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु; √गम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरि: O Maheshvarī
• महेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing Devī (Maheśvarī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradeśvara Bhairava at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvarī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrite musician holding a vīṇā approaches the Bhairava shrine at Prabhāsa, head bowed; the instrument is depicted with slightly discordant strings symbolically, then shown being retuned as purification is sought.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvarī (Devī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Nāradeśvara Bhairava
• Vīṇā
• Svara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arts must be practiced with knowledge and humility; when error arises from ignorance, dharma offers a path of correction through tīrtha and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the same ‘there’—Prabhāsa-kṣetra, linked with Nāradeśvara Bhairava and Brahmakuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A corrective pilgrimage to the site, undertaken specifically for pātaka-śuddhi (sin-purification).