Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

इयं स्त्री पुत्रकामस्य बभ्रोरमिततेजसः । ऋषयः साधु जानीत किमियं जनयिष्यति

Transliteration

iyaṃ strī putrakāmasya babhroramitatejasaḥ | ṛṣayaḥ sādhu jānīta kimiyaṃ janayiṣyati

Translation

„Diese Frau gehört Babhru, dessen Glanz unermesslich ist, der nach einem Sohn verlangt. O ṛṣi, erkennt wahrhaft: Was wird sie gebären?“

Word by Word

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• strī: woman
• strī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• putra-kāmasya: of one desiring a son
• putra-kāmasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पुत्रस्य कामः/पुत्रकामः)

• babhroḥ: of Babhru
• babhroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: babhru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• amita-tejasaḥ: of (him) of immeasurable splendor
• amita-tejasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अमितं तेजः यस्य)

• ṛṣayaḥ: O sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• sādhu: well, properly
• sādhu: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रशंसार्थक-अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of approval)

• jānīta: please know
• jānīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• janayiṣyati: will give birth to / will produce
• janayiṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) ‘janay-’

Speaker

Yādavas/Bhojas (collectively; addressing the ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis addressed by Yādava party (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pregnant woman associated with Babhru is presented before a circle of austere sages; the moment is charged with ominous curiosity as the question of the unborn is posed.

Characters & Entities

• Babhru
• ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred authority is not a tool for entertainment; dharma requires humility and truthful inquiry, not deception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya’s lead-up narrative; it indirectly supports the sanctity of Prabhāsa by explaining the karmic chain that culminates there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a deceptive question posed to sages, setting up the curse motif.