Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रेश्वरस्य विज्ञानाद्विशुद्धिः परमा मता । शरीरस्य विशुद्धिस्तु प्रायश्चित्तैः पृथग्विधैः

Transliteration

kṣetreśvarasya vijñānādviśuddhiḥ paramā matā | śarīrasya viśuddhistu prāyaścittaiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ

Translation

క్షేత్రేశ్వరుని తత్త్వవిజ్ఞానంతోనే పరమ శుద్ధి కలుగుతుందని భావిస్తారు. కానీ శరీరశుద్ధి మాత్రం వివిధ ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాల ద్వారా పొందబడుతుంది.

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रेश्वरस्य: of the Lord of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विज्ञानात्: from (true) knowledge
• विज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• विशुद्धिः: purification
• विशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विशुद्धिः)

• मता: is considered
• मता: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate with विशुद्धिः

• शरीरस्य: of the body
• शरीरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विशुद्धिः: purification
• विशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (contrastive particle)

• प्रायश्चित्तैः: by expiations
• प्रायश्चित्तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पृथग्विधैः: of various kinds; separately prescribed
• पृथग्विधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथग् + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्रायश्चित्तैः)

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta relating the teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetreśvara at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twofold purification is illustrated: on one side, a pilgrim performs austere prāyaścitta rites; on the other, the same pilgrim meditates on Kṣetreśvara within the Prabhāsa shrine, light radiating from the liṅga as ‘parama-śuddhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetreśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purity is highest when rooted in realization of the presiding deity (Kṣetreśvara), while outer purification is supported by prescribed expiations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), where Kṣetreśvara is honored as the Lord of the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General prāyaścittas (expiatory rites) are indicated as means of bodily purification.