Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कस्मादेवंविधा भूत्वा जराजर्जरितं भुवि । त्वमुपास्ये हि कल्याणि कामभावबहिष्कृतम्

Transliteration

kasmādevaṃvidhā bhūtvā jarājarjaritaṃ bhuvi | tvamupāsye hi kalyāṇi kāmabhāvabahiṣkṛtam

Translation

Why, being such as you are, do you serve on earth one who is shattered by old age—O auspicious lady—one cast out from the life of desire?

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what (cause), why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• एवं-विधा: such (of this kind)
• एवं-विधा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (एवम् प्रकारा)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालः (having become)

• जरā-जरजरितम्: worn out by old age
• जरā-जरजरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरā (प्रातिपदिक) + जरजरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (जरया जरजरितम्)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: पृथ्वी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• उपास्ये: I worship/serve
• उपास्ये: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• काम-भाव-बहिष्कृतम्: cast out from desire/sexual feeling
• काम-भाव-बहिष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (कामभावात् बहिष्कृतम्)

Speaker

Aśvinau

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of sages/seekers (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa’s sacred precinct, two radiant divine youths address Sukanyā, questioning why she serves an aged, frail sage-husband; Sukanyā stands composed, modest, and resolute.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau
• Sukanyā
• Cyavana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested when worldly logic mocks renunciation; the narrative elevates service rooted in virtue over desire-centered judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Cyavana–Sukanyā episode preserved in its Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative argument contrasting sensual desire with ascetic condition.