Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

केतक्या च तथा प्रोक्तं यस्मात्तस्मात्सुदुष्टया । अस्या हि स्पर्शनाल्लोकः श्वपाकत्वं प्रयास्यति

Transliteration

ketakyā ca tathā proktaṃ yasmāttasmātsuduṣṭayā | asyā hi sparśanāllokaḥ śvapākatvaṃ prayāsyati

Translation

またケータキーも同様に語った。きわめて邪悪であったがゆえに、彼女に触れるだけで、人々は「シュヴァパーカ」（賤民・被放逐者）の境遇へ堕ちる。

Word by Word

• केतक्या: by Ketakī
• केतक्या: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: manner)

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Therefore/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुदुष्टया: by the very wicked (one)
• सुदुष्टया: Karana-viśeṣaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (केतक्या)

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Emphasis/Reason marker (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• स्पर्शनात्: from (her) touch
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/from/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकः: the world/people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वपाकत्वम्: the state of being a śvapāka (outcaste)
• श्वपाकत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्वपाकस्य भावः) + त्व-प्रत्यय (abstract state)

• प्रयास्यति: will go/come to (become)
• प्रयास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ketakī (implied) and the narrative audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ketakī is singled out as ‘suduṣṭā’; the curse renders her touch socially polluting (śvapākatva), creating a strong taboo image.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ketakī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False witness corrupts sanctity; participation in untruth brings lasting ritual and moral consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this line; it provides an etiological rule relevant to Śaiva ritual culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prohibition/avoidance: Ketakī becomes ritually inauspicious to touch (and, by extension, unsuitable in sacred contexts).