Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

विकर्मफलनिर्द्देशैः पाखंडानां विटंबनैः । प्रदर्श्यते हास्यपरैर्नरैरद्भुतचेष्टितैः

Transliteration

vikarmaphalanirddeśaiḥ pākhaṃḍānāṃ viṭaṃbanaiḥ | pradarśyate hāsyaparairnarairadbhutaceṣṭitaiḥ

Translation

Elle est mise en scène par des hommes voués au spectacle comique, au moyen de prouesses étonnantes, en montrant les fruits des actes fautifs et en tournant en dérision les hérétiques hypocrites.

Word by Word

• vikarma-phala-nirdeśaiḥ: by descriptions of the results of evil deeds
• vikarma-phala-nirdeśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikarma (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + nirdeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—क्रमिक-तत्पुरुष: (विकर्मणः फलम्) + (तस्य निर्देशः) ‘indications/descriptions of the fruits of misdeeds’; instrumental plural

• pākhaṇḍānām: of heretics/charlatans
• pākhaṇḍānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pākhaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — genitive plural

• viṭaṃbanaiḥ: by mockeries/ridicules
• viṭaṃbanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṭaṃbana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• pradarśyate: is displayed
• pradarśyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dṛś दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘is shown/displayed’

• hāsya-paraiḥ: by jesting men
• hāsya-paraiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāsya (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हास्ये पराः) ‘devoted to laughter/jesting’; instrumental plural qualifying naraiḥ

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• adbhuta-ceṣṭitaiḥ: with astonishing antics
• adbhuta-ceṣṭitaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक) + ceṣṭita (कृदन्त; √ceṣṭ चेष्ट् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय—‘अद्भुतं चेष्टितं येषाम्/अद्भुतचेष्टितैः’ = ‘with wondrous antics’; instrumental plural qualifying naraiḥ

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, continuing instruction to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lively stage performance in a temple courtyard: actors enact the downfall caused by wrongful deeds, while caricaturing hypocritical heretics; the crowd laughs yet reflects, with the shrine watching over.

Characters & Entities

• pākhaṇḍa (heretics/hypocrites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public celebration can also educate: karma’s consequences and the danger of hypocrisy are taught through memorable, dharmic performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where festival enactments become part of the sacred culture of the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of staged, humorous demonstrations that highlight vikarma-phala (results of misdeeds) and mock pākhaṇḍa (hypocrisy) during the festival.