Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

यजमानो भवेदन्धः कुपुत्र इति निश्चितम् । दुर्गन्धश्चैव कृष्णश्च नीलश्चैव विशेषतः

Transliteration

yajamāno bhavedandhaḥ kuputra iti niścitam | durgandhaścaiva kṛṣṇaśca nīlaścaiva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Gewiss wird verkündet: Der Opferherr gerät ins Unglück — Blindheit und die Geburt eines schlechten Sohnes —, wenn (die Zeichen des Feuers) übelriechend, schwarz und besonders bläulich sind.

Word by Word

• yajamānaḥ: the sacrificer
• yajamānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajamāna (कृदन्त; √yaj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्): ‘sacrificer’

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• andhaḥ: blind
• andhaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता-विशेषण), एकवचन

• ku-putraḥ: a bad son
• ku-putraḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku (उपसर्ग/निन्दार्थ) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: ‘कुत्सितः पुत्रः’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• niścitam: is निश्चित/decided
• niścitam: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niś-cita (कृदन्त; √ci ‘to decide/collect’ with nis-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/विधेय), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त): ‘ascertained/decided’

• dur-gandhaḥ: foul-smelling
• dur-gandhaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus (उपसर्ग) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: ‘दुष्टः गन्धः यस्य’ (as adjective ‘foul-smelling’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• kṛṣṇaḥ: black/dark
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• nīlaḥ: blue
• nīlaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘especially’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest at Prabhāsa performs a homa; the fire emits dark bluish-black smoke and a foul haze; attendants show concern, indicating inauspicious omens.

Characters & Entities

• Yajamāna
• Agni (implied by color/odor signs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglecting proper ritual conditions is treated as a serious fault with harmful consequences for the householder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma is taught with precision, including omens connected to ritual fire.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid proceeding when the ritual fire shows inauspicious traits such as foul odor and dark/blue coloration.