Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

सुरां पीत्वा गुरुदारांश्च गत्वा स्तेयं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणं चापि हत्वा । भस्मच्छन्नो भस्मशय्याशयानो रुद्राध्यायी मुच्यते पातकेभ्यः

Transliteration

surāṃ pītvā gurudārāṃśca gatvā steyaṃ kṛtvā brāhmaṇaṃ cāpi hatvā | bhasmacchanno bhasmaśayyāśayāno rudrādhyāyī mucyate pātakebhyaḥ

Translation

แม้ดื่มสุรา เข้าใกล้ภรรยาของครู ทำโจรกรรม หรือแม้ฆ่าพราหมณ์—ผู้ที่ปกคลุมด้วยเถ้าศักดิ์สิทธิ์ นอนบนที่นอนแห่งเถ้า และสาธยายพระรุทระ ย่อมพ้นจากบาปทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• सुराम्: liquor
• सुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having drunk)

• गुरु-दारान्: the teacher’s wife (lit. teacher’s wives)
• गुरु-दारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (guroḥ dārāḥ = teacher’s wife); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (indeclinable; and)

• गत्वा: having gone (to)
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone/approached)

• स्तेयम्: theft
• स्तेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done/committed)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (indeclinable; and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (indeclinable; also/even)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having killed)

• भस्म-छन्नः: covered with ash
• भस्म-छन्नः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + छन्न (कृदन्त; छद्/छद्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (bhasmanā channaḥ = covered with ash); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• भस्म-शय्या-शयानः: lying on a bed of ash
• भस्म-शय्या-शयानः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शय्या (प्रातिपदिक) + शयान (कृदन्त; शी/शय् धातोः शानच्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (bhasma-śayyāyāṃ śayānaḥ = lying on a bed of ash); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त-विशेषण (present participle)

• रुद्र-अध्यायी: reciting (hymns to) Rudra
• रुद्र-अध्यायी: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्यायी (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; अधि-इ धातोः णिनि/ई-प्रत्ययान्त ‘one who studies/recites’)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rudrasya adhyāyī = reciter of Rudra [hymns]); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present, 3rd person, Singular)

• पातकेभ्यः: from sins (grave sins)
• पातकेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Śaiva Pāśupata discipline)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful sinner, ash-smeared and lying on an ash-bed, recites Rudra hymns before a Śiva-liṅga; the dark weight of sin is shown lifting as light surrounds the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Pāśupata-vrata
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva devotion expressed through bhasma and Rudra-recitation is portrayed as a powerful purifier capable of removing grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the context of Pāśupateśvara and the Pāśupata discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Covering oneself with bhasma, resting on an ash-bed, and engaging in Rudra-recitation (rudrādhyāya).