Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

मम शापमविज्ञाय नन्दनप्रतिमे वने । कथं सा रुक्मिणी तत्र रमते जनसेविते

Transliteration

mama śāpamavijñāya nandanapratime vane | kathaṃ sā rukmiṇī tatra ramate janasevite

Translation

Ohne meine Verwünschung zu beachten — wie kann jene Rukmiṇī dort Freude finden, in jenem Nandana-gleichen Hain, den die Menschen aufsuchen und dem sie dienen?

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing / without realizing
• अविज्ञाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + अव- (उपसर्ग); अविज्ञाय (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• नन्दन-प्रतिमे: in (a forest) like Nandana (garden)
• नन्दन-प्रतिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नन्दनस्य प्रतिमा इव), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Interrogative adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• रमते: delights / enjoys
• रमते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• जन-सेविते: frequented by people
• जन-सेविते: Adhikarana (Qualifier of location/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (सेव् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जनैः सेविते), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-vana (Dvārakā)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lush grove like Nandana: tall trees, birds, fragrance, devotees attending; Durvāsā’s words cast a shadow over the scene as he questions how Rukmiṇī can delight there despite his curse.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Rukmiṇī
• Nandana (celestial garden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives caution that even beautiful, popular holy places can be affected by the moral force of a curse and the conduct of devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rukmiṇī-vana (Rukmiṇī’s grove) in Dvārakā, described as Nandana-like and much visited.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse comments on the grove’s popularity and the tension with Durvāsā’s śāpa.