Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

मलिनास्ताः कृशांग्यश्च दीनाः सर्वा विचेतसः । ततो दृष्ट्वा तथारूपं दक्षो मोहमुपागतः

Transliteration

malināstāḥ kṛśāṃgyaśca dīnāḥ sarvā vicetasaḥ | tato dṛṣṭvā tathārūpaṃ dakṣo mohamupāgataḥ

Translation

Elles devinrent ternies, aux membres amaigris, misérables, et toutes égarées dans la détresse. Les voyant en cet état, Dakṣa fut saisi de trouble et d’égarement.

Word by Word

• मलिनाः: impure, soiled
• मलिनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृशाङ्ग्यः: slender-limbed (women)
• कृशाङ्ग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• दीनाः: wretched, distressed
• दीनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• विचेतसः: bewildered, out of their senses
• विचेतसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे: ‘विगतचेतनाः’)

• ततः: then, thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thereupon/then’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• तथारूपम्: such a form/state
• तथारूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मोहम्: delusion, bewilderment
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतः: entered (became affected by)
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः: ‘has reached/entered’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maidens appear thin, sullied, and despondent; Dakṣa beholds their altered forms and is struck with bewilderment—an abrupt shift from radiance to ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Dakṣa's daughters (Nakṣatras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma manifests as visible suffering; a guardian must respond when dependents are harmed by injustice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, linking cosmic order and disorder to sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse describes the daughters’ condition and Dakṣa’s reaction.