Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पापघ्नं सर्वजंतूनां जानक्याऽराधितं पुरा । प्रतिष्ठितं विशेषेण सम्यगाराध्यशंकरम्

Transliteration

pāpaghnaṃ sarvajaṃtūnāṃ jānakyā'rādhitaṃ purā | pratiṣṭhitaṃ viśeṣeṇa samyagārādhyaśaṃkaram

Translation

此圣处能灭除一切众生之罪。往昔阇那姬（悉多）曾虔诚供奉；并在如法奉悦商羯罗（Śaṅkara）之后，以殊胜庄严之仪而安立。

Word by Word

• pāpaghnam: sin-destroying
• pāpaghnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa-ghna (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + घ्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ (पूर्वश्लोकात्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sarvajaṃtūnām: of all beings
• sarvajaṃtūnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-jaṃtu (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + जन्तु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• jānakyā: by Jānakī (Sītā)
• jānakyā: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणम्/कर्तृ-निर्देशः (agent in passive)

• ārādhitam: worshipped
• ārādhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• purā: formerly; in ancient times
• purā: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (temporal adverb)

• pratiṣṭhitam: established
• pratiṣṭhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘jānakīśvaram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• viśeṣeṇa: especially; particularly
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावः (instrumental used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषणम्

• samyak: properly; well
• samyak: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-तुल्य (gerund/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त), अव्ययभावः; ‘having worshipped’

• śaṃkaram: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṃkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘ārādhya’ इत्यस्य कर्म

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jānakīśa / Vasiṣṭheśa (liṅga within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā (Jānakī) in austere devotion worships a radiant Śiva-liṅga; priests perform solemn pratiṣṭhā rites; Śaṅkara’s presence is implied through light, ash, and sacred fire.

Characters & Entities

• Jānakī (Sītā)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Jānakīśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes universally beneficial when sanctified by exemplary devotion—here, Jānakī’s worship of Śiva establishes a model of dharma and bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jānakīśvara, a Śaiva shrine whose origin is linked to Jānakī (Sītā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Śaṅkara and pratiṣṭhā (establishment/consecration), though it does not detail the steps.