Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

समातामह दोषेण तेन कालात्मकाननः । स धर्मं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा पापबुद्धिरजायत

Transliteration

samātāmaha doṣeṇa tena kālātmakānanaḥ | sa dharmaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā pāpabuddhirajāyata

Translation

Wegen des Fehlers, den er vom Großvater mütterlicherseits erbte, nahm selbst sein Antlitz die Natur von Tod und Zeit an. Die Dharma hinter sich lassend, entstand in ihm ein sündiger Sinn.

Word by Word

• सम-आतामह-दोषेण: due to the fault of (his) maternal grandfather
• सम-आतामह-दोषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + आतामह (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समातामहस्य दोषः)

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• काल-आत्मक-आननः: having a face of death-like nature
• काल-आत्मक-आननः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कालात्मकम् आननं यस्य)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पृष्ठतः: behind
• पृष्ठतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘behind/at the back’)

• कृत्वा: having put/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund), ‘having done/made’

• पाप-बुद्धिः: evil-mindedness / evil intellect
• पाप-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (पापा बुद्धिः)

• अजायत: arose/was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king’s visage darkens into a Kāla-like countenance as he turns his back on Dharma, shown as a radiant figure receding behind him; omens gather over the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Dharma
• Vena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is abandoned, the mind darkens; Purāṇas portray this as a spiritual and social catastrophe beginning within intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains part of the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya’s itihāsa section, setting the stage for later tīrtha-linked redemption.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical narration describing the rise of pāpa-buddhi after rejecting dharma.