Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । एते स्वरा महाभाग मूर्च्छिताः पतिता भुवि । अज्ञानवादनेनैव पापं जातं तवाधुना

Transliteration

brahmovāca | ete svarā mahābhāga mūrcchitāḥ patitā bhuvi | ajñānavādanenaiva pāpaṃ jātaṃ tavādhunā

Translation

Brahmā said: “O fortunate one, these are the musical notes, embodied. They have fainted and fallen to the earth. By playing in ignorance, sin has now arisen for you.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect: 'said'

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• स्वराः: notes, tones
• स्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक: महा + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• मूर्च्छिताः: combined/arranged
• मूर्च्छिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मूर्छ् (धातु) → मूर्च्छित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; predicative adjective for स्वराः

• पतिताः: fallen
• पतिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; predicative adjective

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• अज्ञानवादनेन: by ignorant playing
• अज्ञानवादनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान + वादन (प्रातिपदिक; √वद्/√वाद् → वादन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय; emphatic particle

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicative: 'has arisen'

• तव: for you / of you
• तव: Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; temporal adverb

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā explains that the fallen ‘brāhmaṇas’ are actually the svaras (musical notes) personified, fainted due to improper playing; Nārada listens, chastened, vīṇā resting aside.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nārada
• Svara (personified musical notes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance in sacred or disciplined arts can become a moral fault; knowledge and reverence are required to keep actions dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the need to seek purification at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, which is praised as a place that removes sin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies prāyaścitta is needed; the concrete prescription (going to Prabhāsa and worship) appears in subsequent verses.