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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

स्वभावतोऽल्पसत्त्वानां जघनानि विसुस्रुवुः । श्रूयते चाप्ययं श्लोकः पुराणप्रथितः क्षितौ

svabhāvato'lpasattvānāṃ jaghanāni visusruvuḥ | śrūyate cāpyayaṃ ślokaḥ purāṇaprathitaḥ kṣitau

Par leur nature même, ceux qui ont peu de force intérieure deviennent chancelants des hanches. Et ce śloka, renommé dans les Purāṇa, se fait aussi entendre sur la terre.

स्वभावतःby nature/naturally
स्वभावतः:
Hetu (Cause/Source nuance)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययार्थे (by nature/naturally)
अल्पसत्त्वानाम्of the weak-minded/low-strength (persons)
अल्पसत्त्वानाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootअल्प + सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारयसमास (अल्पं सत्त्वं येषाम् = those of little strength); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
जघनानिhips/buttocks
जघनानि:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootजघन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
विसुस्रुवुःoozed/flowed
विसुस्रुवुः:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवि + स्रु (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; ‘flowed out/oozed’
श्रूयतेis heard/is recited
श्रूयते:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is heard/is recited)
and
:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (Emphasis/Addition)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अप्यर्थे (also/even)
अयम्this
अयम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
श्लोकःverse
श्लोकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
पुराणप्रथितःwell-known in the Purāṇas
पुराणप्रथितः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of श्लोकः)
TypeAdjective
Rootपुराण + प्रथित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुषसमास (पुराणेषु प्रथितः = famed in the Purāṇas); कृदन्त (क्त/PPP from प्रथ्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
क्षितौon earth
क्षितौ:
Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame audience)

Scene: A proverbial, almost emblematic scene: women of ‘alpa-sattva’ swaying, with a narrator’s voice invoking a ‘Purāṇa-prathita’ verse—half narrative, half aphorism.

FAQs

It cautions that lack of inner steadiness (sattva) leads to loss of restraint; Dharma requires self-control.

The broader context is Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), though this verse itself is a moral observation within the Māhātmya narrative.

No direct rite is prescribed here; it functions as an ethical maxim within the sacred narrative.