Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मोहेन महताऽविष्टाः कामोपहतबुद्धयः । सोमनाथमपश्यंतो यास्यंति नरकं नराः

Transliteration

mohena mahatā'viṣṭāḥ kāmopahatabuddhayaḥ | somanāthamapaśyaṃto yāsyaṃti narakaṃ narāḥ

Translation

Overwhelmed by great delusion, their understanding struck down by desire, men who fail to behold Somanātha will go to hell.

Word by Word

• मोहेन: by delusion
• मोहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महतā: great
• महतā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental/3rd, Singular); विशेषणम्—मोहेन

• आविष्टाः: possessed/overcome
• आविष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+विश् (धातु) → आविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• कामोपहतबुद्धयः: men whose intellect is impaired by desire
• कामोपहतबुद्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहत (उप+हन् धातु → क्त-कृदन्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः—‘कामेन उपहता बुद्धिः येषाम्’ (those whose intellect is struck by desire)

• सोमनाथम्: Somanātha (Śiva)
• सोमनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपश्यन्तः: not seeing
• अपश्यन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ+पश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि (present active participle)

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavatī (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within Prabhāsa-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-vision tableau: men clouded by delusion and desire turn away from the radiant Somanātha shrine; the path behind them darkens toward naraka, while the temple glows as the missed refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire and delusion obstruct sacred vision; liberation-oriented pilgrimage requires clarity, restraint, and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha at Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the emphasis is on obtaining Somanātha-darśana and avoiding delusion-driven distraction.