Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वासांस्याच्छादयामासुर्दुर्द्दमो न तु साहसी । ततो वसिष्ठः कुपितः शशापैनं गत त्रपम्

Transliteration

vāsāṃsyācchādayāmāsurdurddamo na tu sāhasī | tato vasiṣṭhaḥ kupitaḥ śaśāpainaṃ gata trapam

Translation

Die Frauen bedeckten hastig ihre Gewänder; doch Durdama, schamlos und ohne jede Zügelung, tat es nicht. Da erzürnte Vasiṣṭha und verfluchte ihn, weil er alle Sittsamkeit verloren hatte.

Word by Word

• वासांसि: garments
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• आच्छादयामासुः: they covered
• आच्छादयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छाद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्दमः: Durdama
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

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

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/contrast particle)

• साहसी: rash, audacious
• साहसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साहसिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (दुर्दमस्य)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तदनन्तरं/thereupon)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कुपितः: angered
• कुपितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुपित (कृदन्त; कुप् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle)

• शशाप: cursed
• शशाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गतत्रपम्: one who has lost shame
• गतत्रपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; गम् धातोः क्त) + त्रप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रपा यस्य सा → त्रपा-गता/‘shame gone’) विशेषण (एनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages at a sacred ford; women hastily drawing garments to cover themselves; Durdama stands unrestrained; Vasiṣṭha’s face stern with righteous anger as the curse is about to be uttered.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Durdama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Loss of modesty and restraint is treated as adharma, inviting immediate karmic consequence through a sage’s curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within the Setukhaṇḍa, associated with Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setu sacred geography), though this verse itself focuses on conduct rather than site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative and ethical, not a ritual injunction.