Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 167

Devanagari script

साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्याथानुग्रहार्थमयाचत । भगवन्मम दीनायाः शापस्यानुग्रहं प्रभो । प्रयच्छ त्वं महा भाग नैवं कर्त्री पुनः क्वचित्

Transliteration

sāṣṭāṃgaṃ praṇipatyāthānugrahārthamayācata | bhagavanmama dīnāyāḥ śāpasyānugrahaṃ prabho | prayaccha tvaṃ mahā bhāga naivaṃ kartrī punaḥ kvacit

Translation

Dann warf sie sich in der Achtgliedrigen Niederwerfung zu Boden und flehte um Gnade: «O Bhagavān, o Herr, gewähre mir, der Elenden, Erbarmen hinsichtlich dieses Fluches. O Edler, schenke es; niemals werde ich je wieder so handeln.»

Word by Word

• sa-aṣṭāṅgam: with eight-limbed prostration
• sa-aṣṭāṅgam: Kriya (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + aṣṭāṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण, ‘with eight limbs (prostration)’

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya (Action modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having bowed/prostrated’

• atha: then
• atha: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), ‘then’

• anugraha-artham: for the sake of grace
• anugraha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• ayācata: she begged
• ayācata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• dīnāyāḥ: of (me) the wretched
• dīnāyāḥ: Sambandha (Qualifier of ‘mama’/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīnā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (self-reference)

• śāpasya: of the curse
• śāpasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• anugraham: relief/grace
• anugraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prabho: O master
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prayaccha: grant (give)
• prayaccha: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yam (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahā-bhāga: O greatly fortunate one
• mahā-bhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘thus/in this way’

• kartrī: (I) a doer (of such)
• kartrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √kṛ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘again’

• kvacit: ever/at any time
• kvacit: Desha-Kala (Indefinite place/time/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite adverb), ‘ever/anywhere/at any time’

Speaker

Gandharva-duhitṛ (the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience within the mahātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed Gandharva maiden lies fully prostrate (aṣṭāṅga) before a gaṇa-leader in a sacred coastal grove of Prabhāsa, pleading for release from a curse; the atmosphere is penitential and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• gaṇa (implied addressee)
• anugraha (grace)
• śāpa (curse)
• aṣṭāṅga-praṇipāta (prostration)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True repentance expresses itself through surrender, humility, and a vow to reform; grace (anugraha) responds to genuine contrition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Māhātmya emphasizes both moral consequence and the restoring power of humility and divine favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭāṅga-praṇipāta (full prostration) is explicitly described as an act of supplication; no other detailed rite is specified.