Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

निर्मलोऽयं स्वभावेन परमात्मा यथा हितः । उपाधिसंगमासाद्य विकारं स्फटिको यथा

Transliteration

nirmalo'yaṃ svabhāvena paramātmā yathā hitaḥ | upādhisaṃgamāsādya vikāraṃ sphaṭiko yathā

Translation

ఈ పరమాత్మ స్వభావతః నిర్మలుడు, హితప్రదుడు; కానీ ఉపాధుల సంగమంతో వికారం పొందినట్టుగా కనిపిస్తాడు—పక్కన ఉన్న వస్తువుల వర్ణంతో స్ఫటికం మారినట్టుగా అనిపించునట్లు.

Word by Word

• निर्मलः: pure/unstained
• निर्मलः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता/निर्देश

• स्वभावेन: by (its) own nature
• स्वभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता; कर्मधारयः (परमः आत्मा)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा/दृष्टान्त-निर्देशक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• हितः: beneficial/wholesome
• हितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicative)

• उपाधि-सङ्गम्: contact/association with limiting adjuncts
• उपाधि-सङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाधि + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उपाधीनां सङ्गमः)

• आसाद्य: having reached/attained
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• विकारम्: modification/change
• विकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• स्फटिकः: crystal
• स्फटिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्फटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा/दृष्टान्त-निर्देशक अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied by surrounding address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher illustrates the doctrine with a clear crystal placed beside colored cloth/flowers; the crystal appears tinted though unchanged, symbolizing the stainless Self seeming modified by upādhis.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātmā
• Upādhi
• Sphaṭika (crystal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Self is inherently pure; perceived impurity is an appearance caused by associations and conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse serves the Prabhāsakṣetra narrative by grounding tīrtha-practice in inner purification, though it does not name a new site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the instruction is discernment—separating the pure Self from incidental upādhis.