Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स नित्यं पदवीं गत्वा मुष्ट्वा लोकान्स्वशक्तितः । द्रव्यमादाय पितरौ भार्यां चापि पुपोष च

Transliteration

sa nityaṃ padavīṃ gatvā muṣṭvā lokānsvaśaktitaḥ | dravyamādāya pitarau bhāryāṃ cāpi pupoṣa ca

Translation

Täglich begab er sich auf die Landstraße und beraubte die Leute nach Maß seiner Kraft. Mit dem erbeuteten Gut ernährte er seine Eltern und auch seine Frau.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• पदवीम्: a path/road
• पदवीम्: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• मुष्ट्वा: having robbed
• मुष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• लोकान्: people
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वशक्तितः: according to his own ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Karana/Hetu (Means/according to capacity)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (from/according to one's own power)

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/property
• द्रव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• पितरौ: (his) two parents
• पितरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• पुपोष: nourished/supported
• पुपोष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dusty highway scene: the brāhmaṇa-turned-bandit ambushes travelers with a staff; in the distance, a faint silhouette of a sacred coastline/temple hints at Prabhāsa’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• pitarau (parents)
• bhāryā (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting family with sinful earnings is still adharma; the means shape karmic burden, not only the intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, associated with the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse sets up an ethical dilemma about livelihood and sin.