Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्राभासिकं तृतीयं तु क्षेत्रं हि द्विजसत्तमाः । एतत्क्षेत्रत्रयं पुण्यं सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

prābhāsikaṃ tṛtīyaṃ tu kṣetraṃ hi dvijasattamāḥ | etatkṣetratrayaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

และเกษตรที่สามคือ “ปราภาสิกะ” โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ ทั้งสามเกษตรนี้เป็นบุญญสถานอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ทำลายบาปทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• प्राभासिकम्: Prābhāsika (of Prabhāsa)
• प्राभासिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of kṣetram)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of kṣetram)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense though nominative form used)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सत्तमाः द्विजाः)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• क्षेत्रत्रयम्: the set of three sacred fields
• क्षेत्रत्रयम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयाणि क्षेत्राणि)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prābhāsika (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta completes the triad by naming Prābhāsika as third, then declares the three kṣetras collectively ‘sarva-pātaka-nāśana’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Prābhāsika
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain kṣetras are upheld as exceptionally purifying; their sanctity is framed as a direct force for the destruction of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prābhāsika kṣetra (associated with Prabhāsa) is named as the third of the three principal kṣetras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes their sin-destroying nature; later verses specify practices like darśana and snāna in these kṣetras.