Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

कृतघ्नस्य च यत्पापं सूचकस्य च यद्भवेत् । तेन पापेन लिप्यामि यद्यहं नागमे पुनः

Transliteration

kṛtaghnasya ca yatpāpaṃ sūcakasya ca yadbhavet | tena pāpena lipyāmi yadyahaṃ nāgame punaḥ

Translation

หากข้าพเจ้าไม่มาที่นี่อีก ขอให้ข้าพเจ้าถูกเปื้อนด้วยบาปของผู้เนรคุณและผู้ส่อเสียด—ด้วยบาปนั้นเองขอให้ข้าพเจ้ามัวหมอง

Word by Word

• कृतघ्नस्य: of an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• सूचकस्य: of an informer / accuser
• सूचकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: may be / would arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/संभावना), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• लिप्यामि: I become tainted
• लिप्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• आगमे: I came / I return
• आगमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिबोधक-अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual vow/utterance within Arbuda Khaṇḍa narration; likely a pilgrim or narrator-voice within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, about to depart Arbuda, utters a vow: ‘If I do not return, may I bear the sin of the ungrateful and the informer.’ The imagery contrasts a grateful offering gesture with shadowy figures whispering—symbolizing paiśunya.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda (Mount Abu region)
• Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred vow is made: failing to return to the holy place is treated as a grave moral lapse, equated with notorious sins, underscoring commitment to tīrtha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-kṣetra (Mount Abu region) within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Arbuda Khaṇḍa is being praised through a vow of return.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated; the verse frames a vow (saṅkalpa) binding oneself to revisit the tīrtha.