Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्माज्जातं सतीत्वं मे सप्तजन्मनि वै प्रभो । यत्त्वया कुर्वता राज्यं पापं वै समुपार्जितम्

Transliteration

tasmājjātaṃ satītvaṃ me saptajanmani vai prabho | yattvayā kurvatā rājyaṃ pāpaṃ vai samupārjitam

Translation

Darum, o Herr, ist meine Treue als Satī durch sieben Geburten hindurch erwachsen—denn während du das Reich regiertest, wurde wahrlich Sünde angehäuft.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that (cause)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• जातम्: born, arisen
• जातम्: Karta/Predicate complement (कर्ता/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सतीत्वम्: the state of being a satī
• सतीत्वम्: Karta/Predicate complement (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सतीत्व (प्रातिपदिक; सती + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद)

• जन्मनि: in (a) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which, that (sin)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• कुर्वता: while doing, by (you) doing
• कुर्वता: Karana (Agent in instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (शतृ-कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘doing’

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• समुपार्जितम्: acquired, accumulated
• समुपार्जितम्: Karma/Predicate complement (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उप+अर्ज् (धातु) → उपार्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ‘acquired’

Speaker

Mṛgānanā (or the devoted wife) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mṛgānanā explains her satī-like fidelity spanning seven births, linked to the king’s accumulated sin during rule.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Prabhāsa
• Vastrāpatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kingship must be guided by dharma; otherwise its sins ripple through lives, while steadfast virtue seeks to counterbalance harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra in Prabhāsa is the māhātmya setting that frames the ethical teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it emphasizes dharmic responsibility and karmic consequence.