Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शरीरं कृष्णतां यातं मम चैव वृषस्य च । अथ तीर्थान्यनेकानि गतोहं पापशंकया

Transliteration

śarīraṃ kṛṣṇatāṃ yātaṃ mama caiva vṛṣasya ca | atha tīrthānyanekāni gatohaṃ pāpaśaṃkayā

Translation

กายของเรา—ทั้งของโคพฤษภของเราด้วย—กลับหม่นดำลง แล้วด้วยความหวั่นเกรงบาป เราจึงไปยังทิรถะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์มากมาย

Word by Word

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कृष्णताम्: blackness, dark state
• कृष्णताम्: Karma (Object/goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (goal/state)

• यातम्: had gone to, had become
• यातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शरीरम् इति कर्तरि—'had become')

• मम: of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• वृषस्य: of the bull (Nandin)
• वृषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords, pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थानि)

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अहम् इति कर्तरि)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पापशङ्कया: due to fear/suspicion of sin
• पापशङ्कया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-शङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (as the sought-after final tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience in Prabhāsa-māhātmya (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva and his bull (Nandin) appear darkened, traveling from one sacred ford to another, carrying the weight of the skull-bond and fear of sin.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Vṛṣabha (Śiva’s bull/Nandin)
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as prāyaścitta: sincere movement toward tīrthas to resolve impurity and restore dhārmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse gestures to many tīrthas, preparing the climax where Prabhāsa becomes the decisive purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general practice of tīrtha-yātrā (going to sacred places) motivated by repentance and purification.