Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

चण्डालवेश्मन्यथ वा स्मशाने राज्ञश्च मार्गेश्वथ वर्त्ममध्ये । करीषमध्ये निःसृता नराधमाः शैवं पदं यांति न संशयोऽत्र

Transliteration

caṇḍālaveśmanyatha vā smaśāne rājñaśca mārgeśvatha vartmamadhye | karīṣamadhye niḥsṛtā narādhamāḥ śaivaṃ padaṃ yāṃti na saṃśayo'tra

Translation

ไม่ว่าในเรือนของจัณฑาล หรือในป่าช้า หรือบนถนนหลวงของพระราชา หรือกลางทางใหญ่ แม้จะเป็นคนชั่วช้าผุดออกมาจากกองมูลโค ก็ยังบรรลุสภาวะแห่งไศวะได้ โดยปราศจากข้อสงสัย

Word by Word

• चण्डालवेश्मनि: in a Caṇḍāla’s house
• चण्डालवेश्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (चण्डालस्य वेश्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गसूचक अव्यय (then/also)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक/निपात (or)

• स्मशाने: in a cremation ground
• स्मशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• मार्गेषु: on the roads
• मार्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• अथ: also
• अथ: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रसङ्गसूचक अव्यय (also/then)

• वर्त्ममध्ये: in the middle of the path
• वर्त्ममध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वर्त्मनः मध्ये); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• करीषमध्ये: in the midst of dung/filth
• करीषमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करीष (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करीषस्य मध्ये); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निःसृताः: having come out (from there)
• निःसृताः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘निःसृत’ = gone out/emerged; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘नराधमाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नराधमाः: the lowest of men
• नराधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सदृश प्रयोग (नरेषु अधमाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शैवम्: Śaiva (of Śiva)
• शैवम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पदम्: state/abode/goal
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śaiva salvific field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark yet hopeful montage: a caṇḍāla dwelling, a cremation ground with pyres, a royal road and a highway; from dung-heaps emerge destitute figures who, through Śiva’s grace, are shown ascending toward a radiant Śaiva realm or approaching a glowing liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śaiva-pada
• Śmaśāna
• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace is depicted as overpowering impurity and social stigma, granting the Śaiva goal even to the most fallen.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra and the salvific power associated with Śiva’s presence there (Pāśupateśvara context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the certainty of attaining the Śaiva state through Śiva’s salvific power.