Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शेष उवाच । प्रसादिता मया माता शापमुक्तिकृते पुरा । तयोक्तं ये तपोयुक्ता धर्मात्मानः सुसंयताः

Transliteration

śeṣa uvāca | prasāditā mayā mātā śāpamuktikṛte purā | tayoktaṃ ye tapoyuktā dharmātmānaḥ susaṃyatāḥ

Translation

Śeṣa sprach: Einst, um die Lösung vom Fluch zu erwirken, habe ich unsere Mutter besänftigt. Da erklärte sie, dass jene, die Tapas besitzen, im Dharma recht sind und sich gut zügeln, diese Befreiung erlangen werden.

Word by Word

• śeṣaḥ: Śeṣa
• śeṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• prasāditā: was propitiated/pleased
• prasāditā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sad (धातु) + prasādita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गः (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.); कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive participle): 'was propitiated'

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr (कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instr./3rd), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• śāpamuktikṛte: for the sake of release from the curse
• śāpamuktikṛte: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa + mukti + kṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.)/नपुंसकलिङ्गः (n.) चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dat./4th), एकवचनम् (sg.); तत्पुरुषसमासः (शाप-मुक्त्यर्थं कृतम्)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: 'formerly')

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Kartr (कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (f.), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instr./3rd), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• uktam: was said
• uktam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गः (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.); कर्मणि-प्रयोगः: 'was said'

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), बहुवचनम् (pl.); सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• tapaḥyuktāḥ: endowed with austerity
• tapaḥyuktāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), बहुवचनम् (pl.); विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तपसा युक्ताः)

• dharmātmānaḥ: righteous-souled
• dharmātmānaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), बहुवचनम् (pl.); बहुव्रीहिसमासः (धर्मः आत्मा येषाम्)

• susaṃyatāḥ: well-restrained/self-controlled
• susaṃyatāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + saṃyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-प्रायः (सम्-√yam + क्त), पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), बहुवचनम् (pl.); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śeṣa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nāgas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śeṣa speaks with composed authority, recalling how he propitiated their mother; behind him, a symbolic vignette shows tapas—stillness, controlled breath, and a radiant aura of prasāda.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Mātā (mother)
• Nāgāḥ (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Release from bondage is linked to inner discipline—tapas, dharma-mindedness, and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the doctrinal condition; the ensuing verses locate the practice at Arbuda (Mount Arbuda).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and saṃyama (restraint) are prescribed as qualifying practices.