Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यदा शप्तो महादेवो ह्यज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः । ऋषिभिः कोपयुक्तैश्च कस्मिंश्चित्कारणांतरे

Transliteration

yadā śapto mahādevo hyajñānatimirāvṛtaiḥ | ṛṣibhiḥ kopayuktaiśca kasmiṃścitkāraṇāṃtare

Translation

En cierta ocasión, por alguna causa particular, Mahādeva fue maldecido por sabios que, velados por la oscuridad de la ignorancia, estaban también poseídos por la ira.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to subject/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः (कर्मधारय)

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

• अज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः: covered by the darkness of ignorance
• अज्ञानतिमिरावृतैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (√वृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—अज्ञान-तिमिर-आवृत (तत्पुरुष, 'covered by the darkness of ignorance')

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कोपयुक्तैः: angry, filled with wrath
• कोपयुक्तैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (√युज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कोप-युक्त (तत्पुरुष, 'endowed with anger')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• कस्मिन्: in some/which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• चित्: some, certain
• चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितता-बोधक निपात (indefinite particle)

• कारणान्तरे: in some other circumstance
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कारण-अन्तर (तत्पुरुष, 'in another cause/circumstance')

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of austere sages, faces tightened by anger and ignorance’s shadow, pronounce a curse; Mahādeva stands serene yet the atmosphere darkens, suggesting cosmic imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ascetics can fall into error when ignorance and anger arise; dharma requires clarity, humility, and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is part of the Prabhāsakṣetra narrative that will lead to a tīrtha-centered resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the verse sets up the need for expiation/atonement that later takes the form of tīrtha practice.