Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

यत्पापं गुरुगोघ्ने च परस्वहरणेषु च । तत्पापं क्षयमाप्नोति ब्रह्मकुण्डनिषेवणात्

Transliteration

yatpāpaṃ gurugoghne ca parasvaharaṇeṣu ca | tatpāpaṃ kṣayamāpnoti brahmakuṇḍaniṣevaṇāt

Translation

Tội do giết thầy (guru) hay giết bò, và do trộm đoạt tài vật của người khác—tội ấy đều tiêu tan nhờ chí thành nương tựa, phụng sự Brahmakuṇḍa.

Word by Word

• yat: which
• yat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• guru-goghne: in killing a teacher and a cow
• guru-goghne: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + go-ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; guru-ghnaḥ ca go-ghnaḥ ca (copulative: slayer of teacher and cow)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• para-sva-haraṇeṣu: in thefts of others’ property
• para-sva-haraṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para + sva + haraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Bahuvacana; parasya svasya haraṇam (genitive-tatpuruṣa: taking another’s property)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; anaphoric (that)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• kṣayam: destruction
• kṣayam: Karma (Result/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• brahma-kuṇḍa-niṣevaṇāt: from resorting to/serving Brahmakuṇḍa
• brahma-kuṇḍa-niṣevaṇāt: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + kuṇḍa + niṣevaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Pañcamī (5th), Ekavacana; hetu-ablative: brahmakuṇḍasya niṣevaṇam (genitive-tatpuruṣa within)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa (Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent figure approaches Brahmakuṇḍa with bowed head; symbolic images of a cow, a guru’s seat, and stolen goods appear as faint vignettes, then dissolve into the kuṇḍa’s purifying light as the pilgrim bathes.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Niṣevaṇa (devoted resort)
• Go (cow)
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave sins are presented as curable through sincere pilgrimage and reverent practice at a supremely holy tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmakuṇḍa-niṣevaṇa—devoted resort/regular visitation and observance at the tīrtha.