Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मरणं वेति संध्याय शरणं वा महेश्वरम् । वरं शापाभिघातार्थं मृत्युं वा शंकरान्मम

Transliteration

maraṇaṃ veti saṃdhyāya śaraṇaṃ vā maheśvaram | varaṃ śāpābhighātārthaṃ mṛtyuṃ vā śaṃkarānmama

Translation

Réfléchissant : «Est-ce la mort — ou dois-je chercher refuge en Maheśvara ?», il conclut : «Pour moi, même la mort venant de Śaṅkara vaut mieux, si elle met fin au coup de la malédiction».

Word by Word

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विकल्पे कर्म (as option)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative/closure particle)

• संध्याय: to Sandhyā (the goddess Sandhyā)
• संध्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative: for/unto)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• वरम्: a boon; the better choice
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object: boon/choice)

• शापाभिघातार्थम्: for the purpose of countering/striking down the curse
• शापाभिघातार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप-अभिघात-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: शाप + अभिघात + अर्थ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वरम्)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• शंकरात्: from Śaṅkara
• शंकरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative: from)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śiva-āśraya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Chandra, burdened by a curse, stands in contemplation at the threshold of Śiva’s sanctuary, torn between fear of death and the impulse to surrender; his posture shifts from anxiety to resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śaṅkara
• Śāpa (curse)
• Soma/Chandra (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Surrender to Śiva is valued above self-preservation; even suffering can be accepted if it leads to purification and release from adharma’s consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The resolve is formed in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative setting, where Śiva’s grace is sought to neutralize karmic affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse presents śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) as the essential spiritual act.