Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सप्तजन्मकृतैः पापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । त्रिंशद्धनुष्प्रमाणेन तस्य क्षेत्रचतुर्द्दिशम्

Transliteration

saptajanmakṛtaiḥ pāpairmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | triṃśaddhanuṣpramāṇena tasya kṣetracaturddiśam

Translation

وہ سات جنموں میں کیے ہوئے گناہوں سے آزاد ہو جاتا ہے—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔ اس کھیتر کی چاروں سمتیں تیس دھنش (کمان) کے پیمانے تک پھیلی ہوئی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• सप्तजन्मकृतैः: done over seven births
• सप्तजन्मकृतैः: Karana (करण/Instrument; cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + जन्म + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: सप्तजन्मसु कृतैः इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग? अत्र पापैः इति पुं/नपुं बहुवचन तृतीया सह—तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (पापैः)

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (करण/Instrument; cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः), तृतीया, बहुवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; of implied ‘asti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिंशत्: thirty
• त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (समासे पूर्वपद)

• धनुःप्रमाणेन: by the measure of a bow
• धनुःप्रमाणेन: Karana (करण/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धनुषः प्रमाणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: of it/of that (place)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रचतुर्दिशम्: the four sides (extent) of the sacred area
• क्षेत्रचतुर्दिशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; implied ‘(asti)’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + चतुर् + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रस्य चतुर्दिशम्/चारो दिशः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाण/विस्तारवाचक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ikṣvākvīśvara-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a marked quadrangle-like sacred precinct; priests indicate the boundary measured as thirty bow-lengths; the shrine stands at the center, with protective deities at the four directions.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Kṣetra (precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and worship in a consecrated kṣetra are portrayed as powerfully purificatory, erasing deep karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The precinct (kṣetra) around the Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga at Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, worship/approach within the defined sacred boundary; the verse also specifies the kṣetra’s extent (thirty dhanus in each direction).