Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

भोभोः कापालिक क्षुद्र पत्न्योऽस्माकं जिहीर्षसि । तदेतद्भूषितं लिंग भूमौ रुद्र पतिष्यति

Transliteration

bhobhoḥ kāpālika kṣudra patnyo'smākaṃ jihīrṣasi | tadetadbhūṣitaṃ liṃga bhūmau rudra patiṣyati

Translation

«Hé, hé, Kāpālika misérable ! Tu cherches à ravir nos épouses. C’est pourquoi ce liṅga paré, ô Rudra, tombera à terre.»

Word by Word

• भोभोः: hey! hey!
• भोभोः: Sambodhana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (द्विरुक्त) — Vocative particle (reduplicated)

• कापालिक: O skull-bearing ascetic (Kāpālika)
• कापालिक: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षुद्र: O wretched one
• क्षुद्र: Sambodhana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; विशेषण

• पत्न्यः: wives
• पत्न्यः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive, Plural

• जिहीर्षसि: you wish to take away
• जिहीर्षसि: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: सन्नन्त (इच्छार्थक) धातुरूप: जिहीर्ष-; लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd person, Singular; desiderative (want to take away)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; here प्रथमा (subject)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; तत् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• भूषितम्: adorned
• भूषितम्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूषित (कृदन्त; भूष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; here प्रथमा

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रुद्र: O Rudra
• रुद्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पतिष्यति: will fall
• पतिष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Simple Future, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Munis (sages) in the narrative (addressing Rudra as ‘Kāpālika’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic frame; context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heated confrontation: householders or guardians denounce a Kāpālika accused of abducting wives; an ornamented liṅga is shown ominously tilting/falling to the earth as a sign of curse and loss of auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpālika
• Rudra
• Liṅga
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misrecognition of the divine leads to offense; yet even harsh speech becomes part of a sacred unfolding that later sanctifies places and practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsakṣetra; the Dāruvana episode is used as sacred backstory within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual appears; the verse centers on the liṅga motif and the curse’s pronouncement.