Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मवाक्येन राजर्षे चकम्पे वसुधा ततः । शीर्णानि गिरिशृंगाणि चुक्षुभुर्मकरालयाः

Transliteration

brahmavākyena rājarṣe cakampe vasudhā tataḥ | śīrṇāni giriśṛṃgāṇi cukṣubhurmakarālayāḥ

Translation

Ô rishi royal, par cette parole semblable à celle de Brahmā, la terre se mit à trembler ; les cimes des montagnes se brisèrent, et les océans—demeure des makaras—se soulevèrent en tumulte.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मवाक्येन: by Brahmā's word
• ब्रह्मवाक्येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणो वाक्येन)

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• राजर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• चकम्पे: trembled
• चकम्पे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वसुधा: the earth
• वसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Anantarya (Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• शीर्णानि: shattered, broken
• शीर्णानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त; from √शॄ/√शृ to decay)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गिरिशृंगाणि: mountain-peaks
• गिरिशृंगाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरेः शृंगाणि)

• चुक्षुभुः: were agitated
• चुक्षुभुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• मकरालयाः: oceans (abodes of makaras)
• मकरालयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर + आलय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मकराणाम् आलयाः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājarṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As the curse takes effect, the ground cracks and trembles; distant mountain crests crumble; the ocean surface churns with makaras; sages and forest creatures freeze in terror under a darkened sky.

Characters & Entities

• rājarṣi
• vasudhā
• makarālaya (oceans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic universe is morally responsive: disruptive speech and adharma manifest as cosmic imbalance and ominous signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narration remains within Arbuda-kṣetra’s māhātmya, framing the region as a stage for world-affecting divine events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes portentous upheavals.