Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्राहिल्याप्रसंगोत्थमहापातकभीरुणा । गौतमोद्भवशापेन विलक्ष्यीकृतचेतसा

Transliteration

tatrāhilyāprasaṃgotthamahāpātakabhīruṇā | gautamodbhavaśāpena vilakṣyīkṛtacetasā

Translation

Dort war Indra—von der großen Sünde erschreckt, die aus seiner Verstrickung mit Ahalyā entstand—im Geist durch den von Gautama ausgehenden Fluch beschämt und verwirrt,

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• अहिल्या: Ahalyā
• अहिल्या: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समासपूर्वपदत्वात् अविभक्तिक), एकवचन — feminine stem used as compound member

• प्रसङ्ग: association/incident
• प्रसङ्ग: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासे), एकवचन — masculine stem used as compound member

• उत्थ: arisen from
• उत्थ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), समासे अविभक्तिक; अर्थः ‘उत्पन्न’ — past participial adjective ‘arisen’

• महापातक: great sin
• महापातक: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासे), एकवचन — ‘महच्च तत् पातकम्’ karmadhāraya compound member

• भीरुणा: by (him) who was afraid
• भीरुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (प्रायः पुं), तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — instrumental singular ‘by/with (one who is) fearful’

• गौतम: of Gautama
• गौतम: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासे), एकवचन — used as compound member

• उद्भव: arising (from)
• उद्भव: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासे), एकवचन — ‘arising/origin’ as compound member

• शापेन: by the curse (born of Gautama)
• शापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — instrumental; ‘गौतमोद्भवः शापः’ tatpuruṣa; ‘by the curse arising from Gautama’

• विलक्ष्यीकृत: made deranged/altered
• विलक्ष्यीकृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √लक्ष् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त; ‘विलक्ष्यी-’ (कृदन्ताधार)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), समासे अविभक्तिक; अर्थः ‘विकृत/विलक्षणीकृत’ — made abnormal/deranged

• चेतसा: with mind/consciousness
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — instrumental; ‘विलक्ष्यीकृतं चेतः यस्य’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे समासान्त) here as tatpuruṣa member with instrumental ending

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative continues into Indra’s act and the site’s sanctity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candrodaka / Indreśvara-sthāna (contextual lead-in)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, crown dimmed and posture lowered, stands near the sacred waters, marked by anxiety; a shadow of Gautama’s curse hangs like a dark cloud as he seeks a place to atone.

Characters & Entities

• Ahalyā
• Gautama
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty gods are bound by dharma: wrongdoing leads to curse and fear, and purification is sought through sacred places and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, preparing the narrative for Indra’s installation/worship of Śiva as Indreśvara near the associated tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse itself is narrative (no direct injunction), introducing the need for prāyaścitta that follows through worship and tīrtha practice.