Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

त्वया हि बद्धा ऋषयस्ते चरन्तीह कर्मभिः । तां त्वां कथमृषिः शप्तुं शक्नुयाद्वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

tvayā hi baddhā ṛṣayaste carantīha karmabhiḥ | tāṃ tvāṃ kathamṛṣiḥ śaptuṃ śaknuyādvaravarṇini

Translation

«En vérité, par toi les ṛṣi eux-mêmes sont liés et cheminent ici sous la contrainte du karma. Comment donc un ṛṣi pourrait-il avoir le pouvoir de te maudire, ô dame belle et excellente ?»

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (contextual), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• baddhāḥ: bound
• baddhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandh (धातु) > baddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• caranti: they move/act
• caranti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• karmabhiḥ: by actions/deeds
• karmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tām: that (her)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• katham: how
• katham: Prayojaka (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• ṛṣiḥ: a sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• śaptum: to curse
• śaptum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• śaknuyāt: could be able
• śaknuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• vara-varṇini: O fair-complexioned one
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Govinda (Śrī Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as varavarṇinī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa asserts the hierarchy: sages bound by karma, Devī beyond being truly ‘cursable’; the scene balances reverence for ṛṣis with the supremacy of divine śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Karma
• Śakti/Devī
• Govinda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It asserts divine sovereignty: even great sages operate within karma, while the supreme divine power stands beyond such limitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya, situating the teaching within the sanctified landscape of Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse addresses the metaphysical status of curses and karmic bondage.