Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

लोहास्यवायसा येषां नेत्रोद्धारं प्रकुर्वते । एतैर्निरीक्षितान्येव कलत्राणि दुरात्मभिः

Transliteration

lohāsyavāyasā yeṣāṃ netroddhāraṃ prakurvate | etairnirīkṣitānyeva kalatrāṇi durātmabhiḥ

Translation

Jene Frevler, die mit sündiger Absicht nach den Frauen anderer blickten—Krähen mit eisernem Schnabel reißen ihnen zur Vergeltung die Augen aus.

Word by Word

• लोहास्यवायसाः: iron-beaked crows
• लोहास्यवायसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + आस्य + वायस (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (लोहम् आस्यं येषां ते वायसाः)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नेत्र: of the eye
• नेत्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपदम्)

• उद्धारम्: pulling out
• उद्धारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'नेत्र' इत्यनेन सह षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (नेत्रस्य उद्धारः)

• प्रकुर्वते: they do/perform
• प्रकुर्वते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• निरीक्षितानि: looked at, ogled
• निरीक्षितानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'कलत्राणि' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• कलत्राणि: wives
• कलत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• दुरात्मभिः: by wicked men
• दुरात्मभिः: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator describing hellish consequences within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa witness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wicked men who cast lustful eyes on others’ wives are shown restrained while iron-beaked crows violently tear out their eyes; the imagery focuses on the eyes as the instrument of sin and punishment.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding the senses—especially the gaze—from lust and violation of marital dharma is essential; sinful intent brings karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), presented as a dharma-teaching pilgrimage landscape within the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse functions as a moral warning within the Māhātmya narrative.