Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यदा शप्तो महादेवो ह्यज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः । ऋषिभिः कोपयुक्तैश्च कस्मिंश्चित्कारणांतरे

Transliteration

yadā śapto mahādevo hyajñānatimirāvṛtaiḥ | ṛṣibhiḥ kopayuktaiśca kasmiṃścitkāraṇāṃtare

Translation

Einst, aus einem bestimmten Anlass, wurde Mahādeva von Weisen verflucht, die vom Dunkel der Unwissenheit umhüllt und vom Zorn ergriffen waren.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to subject/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः (कर्मधारय)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः: covered by the darkness of ignorance
• अज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (√वृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—अज्ञान-तिमिर-आवृत (तत्पुरुष, 'covered by the darkness of ignorance')

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कोपयुक्तैः: angry, filled with wrath
• कोपयुक्तैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (√युज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कोप-युक्त (तत्पुरुष, 'endowed with anger')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• कस्मिन्: in some/which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• चित्: some, certain
• चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितता-बोधक निपात (indefinite particle)

• कारणान्तरे: in some other circumstance
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कारण-अन्तर (तत्पुरुष, 'in another cause/circumstance')

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of austere sages, faces tightened by anger and ignorance’s shadow, pronounce a curse; Mahādeva stands serene yet the atmosphere darkens, suggesting cosmic imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ascetics can fall into error when ignorance and anger arise; dharma requires clarity, humility, and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is part of the Prabhāsakṣetra narrative that will lead to a tīrtha-centered resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the verse sets up the need for expiation/atonement that later takes the form of tīrtha practice.