Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अभावाच्चार्घ्यपाद्यानां पूजां चक्रुः समंततः । सांबस्त्ववश्यभावित्वात्तस्य शापस्य कारणात्

Transliteration

abhāvāccārghyapādyānāṃ pūjāṃ cakruḥ samaṃtataḥ | sāṃbastvavaśyabhāvitvāttasya śāpasya kāraṇāt

Translation

Since arghya and pādya were unavailable, they performed worship in every way they could. Yet Sāmba—driven by inescapable fate—became the cause of that curse.

Word by Word

• अभावात्: due to absence
• अभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

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

• अर्घ्यपाद्यानाम्: of the arghya and pādya offerings
• अर्घ्यपाद्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (अर्घ्यं च पाद्यं च)

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they performed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• समन्ततः: on all sides, all around
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• साम्बः: Sāmba
• साम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/however)

• अवश्यभावित्वात्: because of inevitability
• अवश्यभावित्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवश्य (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु), एकवचन; भाविन्-शब्दात् तद्धित ‘त्व’ (state/condition)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शापस्य: of the curse
• शापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कारणात्: from the cause; because of
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A court scene of hurried, incomplete reception—no arghya or pādya at hand—princes attempting makeshift worship; Sāmba stands out, subtly marked by destiny, as the narrative points to him as the seed of the coming curse.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Arghya
• Pādya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when resources are limited, sincere honoring is dharma; yet deliberate disrespect (especially by a principal actor) can overturn the merit of formalities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya cycle, though the immediate scene is set in Dvāravatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-satkāra elements are implied: offering arghya and pādya as standard honors to a visiting sage.