Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

खड्गेन तीक्ष्णधारेण छित्त्वा शीर्षं तदा मम । उल्काहस्ता निरीक्षन्तो नापश्यन्स्वर्णमण्वपि

Transliteration

khaḍgena tīkṣṇadhāreṇa chittvā śīrṣaṃ tadā mama | ulkāhastā nirīkṣanto nāpaśyansvarṇamaṇvapi

Translation

Dann hieben sie mir mit einem scharf geschliffenen Schwert den Kopf ab. Mit Fackeln in der Hand suchten sie, doch sie sahen nicht einmal das geringste Körnchen Gold.

Word by Word

• खड्गेन: with a sword
• खड्गेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular Masculine)

• तीक्ष्णधारेण: sharp-edged
• तीक्ष्णधारेण: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of खड्गेन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: तीक्ष्णा धारा यस्य (sharp-edged)

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having cut’

• शीर्षम्: head
• शीर्षम्: Karma (Object of छित्त्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative Singular Neuter)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive Singular: ‘my’)

• उल्काहस्ताः: torch-bearers
• उल्काहस्ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्का (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: उल्का हस्ते येषाम् (those having torches in hand)

• निरीक्षन्तः: inspecting
• निरीक्षन्तः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Concurrent action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘while inspecting’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अपश्यन्: saw
• अपश्यन्: Kriyā (Main predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they saw’ (with न = ‘did not see’)

• स्वर्णम्: gold
• स्वर्णम्: Karma (Object of अपश्यन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative Singular Neuter)

• अणु: a speck
• अणु: Karma (Object in idiom ‘not even a bit’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘a tiny bit/particle’ (used adverbially with अपि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (even/also); अत्र ‘even’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as 'priye' in the surrounding passage (intimate addressee; likely spouse/close kin in the कथा-frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night scene: men with blazing torches surround a fallen figure; a sharp sword just used; frantic searching of the body and ground for gold; expressions of disappointment and fear under flickering light.

Characters & Entities

• sword (khaḍga)
• torches (ulkā)
• gold (suvarṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma texts often portray the severity of consequences for violence and wrongdoing, underscoring that worldly power cannot secure true gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the continuing sacred setting; later verses connect this suffering to transformation through Śivarātri’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates punishment and the failure to recover the concealed gold.