Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

उपरागे न कुर्याद्यः पंके गौरिव सीदति । कुर्वाणस्तु तरेत्पापं सा च नौरिव सागरे

Transliteration

uparāge na kuryādyaḥ paṃke gauriva sīdati | kurvāṇastu taretpāpaṃ sā ca nauriva sāgare

Translation

Wer zur Zeit der Finsternis das vorgeschriebene Ritual nicht vollzieht, versinkt wie eine Kuh im Morast. Wer es aber vollzieht, überschreitet die Sünde, wie ein Boot über den Ozean trägt.

Word by Word

• uparāge: at the eclipse
• uparāge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uparāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun; masc. nom. sg.)

• paṃke: in mud
• paṃke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• gaur: a cow
• gaur: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.; irregular form ‘gaur’)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक particle)

• sīdati: sinks, gets stuck
• sīdati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sad (सद् धातु; ‘सीदति’)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. pres.)

• kurvāṇaḥ: doing (it), performing
• kurvāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) ; शानच्-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त, आत्मनेपदी)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (pres. middle participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय particle)

• taret: should cross over, should overcome
• taret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṝ (तॄ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• pāpam: sin, evil
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• sā: that (person) / she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun; fem. nom. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-bodhaka conjunction)

• nauḥ: a boat
• nauḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nau (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.; form ‘nauḥ’)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक particle)

• sāgare: in the ocean
• sāgare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene allegory: on one side a cow stuck in muddy mire under a darkened sky; on the other, a devotee in a small boat crossing a vast ocean labeled ‘pāpa’, holding ritual items, with the eclipsed orb above.

Characters & Entities

• Uparāga (eclipse)
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely dharma at sacred times prevents spiritual decline and becomes a means to transcend sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where eclipse-time observances are praised for their exceptional efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the prescribed observance during an eclipse; neglect is condemned, performance is said to ferry one beyond pāpa.