Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवं तासां स्वरूपं ते दृष्ट्वा सर्वे महर्षयः । कोपेन महता युक्ताः शेपुस्तं वृषभध्वजम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tāsāṃ svarūpaṃ te dṛṣṭvā sarve maharṣayaḥ | kopena mahatā yuktāḥ śepustaṃ vṛṣabhadhvajam

Translation

ಅವರ ಈ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡು, ಮಹರ್ಷಿಗಳೆಲ್ಲರೂ ತೀವ್ರ ಕೋಪಗೊಂಡು ವೃಷಭಧ್ವಜನಾದ ಶಿವನಿಗೆ ಶಾಪ ನೀಡಿದರು.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वरूपम्: nature, form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (they)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणवत् (all)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कोपेन: with anger
• कोपेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• महतā: great, intense
• महतā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् कोपेन

• युक्ताः: endowed, filled
• युक्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘युक्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् महर्षयः

• शेपुः: cursed
• शेपुः: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वृषभध्वजम्: the Bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजम्: Karma (Object - apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य/वृषभध्वजः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (epithet)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of austere sages with matted hair and bark garments, eyes blazing; they raise hands in imprecatory gesture toward Śiva (bull-banner implied), while the women stand behind in confusion and shame; the forest hermitage feels charged.

Characters & Entities

• Maharṣis
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ascetics can be driven by reactive anger; the narrative contrasts outer austerity with inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the māhātmya frame; the curse episode is part of the sacred narrative associated with the region’s spiritual significance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the śāpa (curse) motif that leads to later theological revelation.