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

Ia merenung, “Apakah ini kematian—atau aku harus berlindung pada Maheśvara?” Lalu ia memutuskan, “Demi mengakhiri hantaman kutuk itu, bagiku bahkan kematian dari Śaṅkara pun lebih utama.”

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.