Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ऊचुर्गत्वा तु लोकेशं देवदेवं पितामहम् । अस्मत्कृते द्विजैः शप्तः सागरो ब्राह्मणोत्तमैः

Transliteration

ūcurgatvā tu lokeśaṃ devadevaṃ pitāmaham | asmatkṛte dvijaiḥ śaptaḥ sāgaro brāhmaṇottamaiḥ

Translation

Da gingen sie zum Herrn der Welten —Pitāmaha, dem Gott der Götter— und sprachen: „Unseretwegen ist der Ozean von den erhabensten Brāhmaṇas verflucht worden.“

Word by Word

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having gone’

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• लोकेशम्: the lord of the world
• लोकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य ईशः)

• देवदेवम्: god of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अस्मत्कृते: for our sake
• अस्मत्कृते: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अस्माकं कृते = for our sake)

• द्विजैः: by the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शप्तः: was cursed
• शप्तः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (was cursed)

• सागरः: the ocean
• सागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणोत्तमैः: by the best Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणोत्तमैः: Karta (Agent in passive—appositional to द्विजैः/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः ब्राह्मणाः)

Speaker

Devagaṇas (the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas approach Pitāmaha (Brahmā) in his radiant court, reporting that the ocean has been cursed by eminent brāhmaṇas for the devas’ sake.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Devagaṇas
• Brāhmaṇottamas
• Sāgara (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic crises are addressed through dharmic hierarchy—appeal to the higher custodian (Brahmā) when consequences spread to all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, within whose māhātmya the ocean’s curse becomes a sacred-world event.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative movement—gods seeking counsel/intervention from Brahmā.