Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 179

Devanagari script

गंधर्व उवाच । दुहितुर्मे शरीरं तु व्याधिकुष्ठेनपीडितम् । येनोपशमनं याति तत्त्वं कर्त्तुमिहार्हसि

Transliteration

gaṃdharva uvāca | duhiturme śarīraṃ tu vyādhikuṣṭhenapīḍitam | yenopaśamanaṃ yāti tattvaṃ karttumihārhasi

Translation

Le Gandharva dit : «Le corps de ma fille est affligé, tourmenté par la maladie de la lèpre. Dis-moi le moyen véritable par lequel elle peut s’apaiser ; il te sied d’énoncer ici ce remède».

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वः: the Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुहितुः: of (my) daughter
• दुहितुः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle)

• व्याधिकुष्ठेन: by illness and leprosy
• व्याधिकुष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि-कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘व्याधिः च कुष्ठं च’ → व्याधिकुष्ठ; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व-प्राय), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पीडितम्: afflicted, tormented
• पीडितम्: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘पीडित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (शरीरम्)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘by which/whereby’

• उपशमनम्: pacification, cure
• उपशमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-शम् (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वम्: the truth, the correct means
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to accomplish
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Infinitive)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• अर्हसि: you ought / you are able
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gandharva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somēśvara/Prabhāsa (to be specified in ensuing verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gośṛṅga (brahmarṣi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jeweled celestial Gandharva speaks with anguish, describing his daughter’s leprosy; listeners show compassion; the scene is intimate and pleading.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• Daughter

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is met with dhārmic inquiry—seeking a righteous, truth-aligned remedy rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Prabhāsa sacred region, where Someshvara worship is presented as a source of relief and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests the remedy; the specific prescription (Somavāra-vrata and Someshvara worship) appears in subsequent verses.