Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

गुरुवाक्येन ते जन्म यदा मर्त्ये भवि ष्यति । भार्याविरहजं दुःखं तदा त्वं तत्र भोक्ष्यसे

Transliteration

guruvākyena te janma yadā martye bhavi ṣyati | bhāryāvirahajaṃ duḥkhaṃ tadā tvaṃ tatra bhokṣyase

Translation

Durch das Wort deines Lehrers wirst du, wenn du unter Sterblichen geboren wirst, dort den Schmerz kosten, der aus der Trennung von deiner Gattin entsteht.

Word by Word

• गुरुवाक्येन: by the guru’s word
• गुरुवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः वाक्येन = by the guru’s word/command)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (enclitic)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘मर्त्यलोके’ अर्थे

• भविष्यति: will occur / will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भार्याविरहजम्: arising from separation from (one’s) wife
• भार्याविरहजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विरह (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भार्यायाः विरहात् जातम् = born from separation from wife), विशेषणम् (of ‘दुःखम्’)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• भोक्ष्यसे: you will experience / suffer
• भोक्ष्यसे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual: a curse/prophecy uttered in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative, likely by sages addressing Rudra/Śiva in the Dāruvana episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī foretells Viṣṇu’s mortal birth under guru’s command and the coming pain of separation from his wife; Viṣṇu listens with grave composure.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Martyaloka (mortal world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty must accept karmic consequence; sorrow becomes a means to unfold a destined divine narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger frame is Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), whose māhātmya contextualizes these events and their sacred significance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it functions as prophetic framing within the māhātmya.