Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तेषां भयविनाशाय ता मातॄश्च प्रपूजयेत् । अस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति

Transliteration

teṣāṃ bhayavināśāya tā mātṝśca prapūjayet | asmiṃstīrthe naraḥ snātvā brahmahatyāṃ vyapohati

Translation

ان کے خوف کے زوال کے لیے اُن ماؤں (ماتریکاؤں) کی خوب عبادت کرنی چاہیے۔ اس تیرتھ میں انسان غسل کرے تو برہمن ہتیا (برہماہتیا) کا پاپ بھی دور ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• भयविनाशाय: for the destruction of fear
• भयविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘destruction of fear’)

• ताः: them
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine pronoun)

• मातॄः: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातॄः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

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

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter pronoun)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having bathed’

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘killing of a brāhmaṇa’)

• व्यपोहति: removes; dispels
• व्यपोहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अप + ऊह्/अपोह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptaprayāga

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a hidden confluence performs snāna; nearby a shrine/maṇḍala of the Sapta/Ashta Mātṛkās is worshipped with lamps and flowers; the atmosphere suggests secrecy and protection, with Śiva’s presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛs
• Tīrtha (Prabhāsa)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent worship and tīrtha-bathing are portrayed as powerful remedies for fear and even the gravest moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular supreme tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, acclaimed as sarva-pāpa-nāśaka and capable of removing brahmahatyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prapūjā (earnest worship) of the Mātṛs and snāna (bathing) in the stated tīrtha for purification and fear-dispelling.