Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

लोहास्यवायसा येषां नेत्रोद्धारं प्रकुर्वते । एतैर्निरीक्षितान्येव कलत्राणि दुरात्मभिः

Transliteration

lohāsyavāyasā yeṣāṃ netroddhāraṃ prakurvate | etairnirīkṣitānyeva kalatrāṇi durātmabhiḥ

Translation

Ces hommes pervers dont le regard, chargé d’intention fautive, s’est posé sur les épouses d’autrui—des corbeaux au bec de fer leur arrachent les yeux en juste rétribution.

Word by Word

• लोहास्यवायसाः: iron-beaked crows
• लोहास्यवायसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + आस्य + वायस (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (लोहम् आस्यं येषां ते वायसाः)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नेत्र: of the eye
• नेत्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपदम्)

• उद्धारम्: pulling out
• उद्धारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'नेत्र' इत्यनेन सह षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (नेत्रस्य उद्धारः)

• प्रकुर्वते: they do/perform
• प्रकुर्वते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• निरीक्षितानि: looked at, ogled
• निरीक्षितानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'कलत्राणि' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• कलत्राणि: wives
• कलत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• दुरात्मभिः: by wicked men
• दुरात्मभिः: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator describing hellish consequences within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa witness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wicked men who cast lustful eyes on others’ wives are shown restrained while iron-beaked crows violently tear out their eyes; the imagery focuses on the eyes as the instrument of sin and punishment.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding the senses—especially the gaze—from lust and violation of marital dharma is essential; sinful intent brings karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), presented as a dharma-teaching pilgrimage landscape within the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse functions as a moral warning within the Māhātmya narrative.