Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

विकर्मफलनिर्द्देशैः पाखंडानां विटंबनैः । प्रदर्श्यते हास्यपरैर्नरैरद्भुतचेष्टितैः

Transliteration

vikarmaphalanirddeśaiḥ pākhaṃḍānāṃ viṭaṃbanaiḥ | pradarśyate hāsyaparairnarairadbhutaceṣṭitaiḥ

Translation

It is enacted by men devoted to humorous display, through astonishing performances—pointing out the fruits of wrongful deeds and satirizing hypocritical heretics.

Word by Word

• vikarma-phala-nirdeśaiḥ: by descriptions of the results of evil deeds
• vikarma-phala-nirdeśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikarma (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + nirdeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—क्रमिक-तत्पुरुष: (विकर्मणः फलम्) + (तस्य निर्देशः) ‘indications/descriptions of the fruits of misdeeds’; instrumental plural

• pākhaṇḍānām: of heretics/charlatans
• pākhaṇḍānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pākhaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — genitive plural

• viṭaṃbanaiḥ: by mockeries/ridicules
• viṭaṃbanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṭaṃbana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• pradarśyate: is displayed
• pradarśyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dṛś दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘is shown/displayed’

• hāsya-paraiḥ: by jesting men
• hāsya-paraiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāsya (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हास्ये पराः) ‘devoted to laughter/jesting’; instrumental plural qualifying naraiḥ

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• adbhuta-ceṣṭitaiḥ: with astonishing antics
• adbhuta-ceṣṭitaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक) + ceṣṭita (कृदन्त; √ceṣṭ चेष्ट् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय—‘अद्भुतं चेष्टितं येषाम्/अद्भुतचेष्टितैः’ = ‘with wondrous antics’; instrumental plural qualifying naraiḥ

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, continuing instruction to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lively stage performance in a temple courtyard: actors enact the downfall caused by wrongful deeds, while caricaturing hypocritical heretics; the crowd laughs yet reflects, with the shrine watching over.

Characters & Entities

• pākhaṇḍa (heretics/hypocrites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public celebration can also educate: karma’s consequences and the danger of hypocrisy are taught through memorable, dharmic performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where festival enactments become part of the sacred culture of the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of staged, humorous demonstrations that highlight vikarma-phala (results of misdeeds) and mock pākhaṇḍa (hypocrisy) during the festival.