Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यावद्दीपो गतप्रायो वर्त्तिच्छेदोऽभवत्किल । तावत्तेन दशा दत्ता द्रव्यान्वेषणकारणात्

Transliteration

yāvaddīpo gataprāyo vartticchedo'bhavatkila | tāvattena daśā dattā dravyānveṣaṇakāraṇāt

Translation

Just as the lamp was nearly spent and its wick was cut off, at that very moment he was struck down—because he was searching for valuables.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Temporal correlate
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे (correlative)

• दीपः: lamp
• दीपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गतप्रायः: almost gone (nearly extinguished)
• गतप्रायः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (√गम् धातु; कृदन्त) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to दीपः)

• वर्त्ति: wick
• वर्त्ति: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• छेदः: cutting, break
• छेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वर्त्तिच्छेदः: wick-cutting/breaking of the wick
• वर्त्तिच्छेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्ति + छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभवत्: happened, occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक/अनुश्रुत्यर्थक निपात (indeed/it is said)

• तावत्: then, for that long
• तावत्: Temporal correlate
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे (correlative: then/so long)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Agent (Instrumental; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• दशा: condition/state
• दशा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दत्ता: was given/assigned
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (given)

• द्रव्य: goods/property
• द्रव्य: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अन्वेषण: searching
• अन्वेषण: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-इष्/एष् (धातु) → अन्वेषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कारणात्: because of, due to
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• द्रव्यान्वेषणकारणात्: due to the reason of searching for goods
• द्रव्यान्वेषणकारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य + अन्वेषण + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narratorial voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śiva-ālaya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flickering oil lamp nearly dies; the wick snaps; at that instant the intruder is struck down or felled in the dark, hands reaching toward the offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-temple context (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma invites swift reversal; even a moment’s greed can trigger immediate consequence, especially in sacred settings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene remains within a Śiva-temple associated with the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative; no named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The lamp (dīpa) indicates temple worship practice, but no instruction is given—only narrative detail.