Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

शरीरनाशं कृष्णात्त्वमवाप्स्यसि न संशयः । एवं शप्तो ब्रह्मणाऽसौ विष्णुमेतदयाचत

Transliteration

śarīranāśaṃ kṛṣṇāttvamavāpsyasi na saṃśayaḥ | evaṃ śapto brahmaṇā'sau viṣṇumetadayācata

Translation

"ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനാൽ നിനക്ക് ശരീരനാശം സംഭവിക്കും, അതിൽ സംശയമില്ല." ബ്രഹ്മാവിനാൽ ഇപ്രകാരം ശപിക്കപ്പെട്ട അവൻ വിഷ്ണുവിനോട് ഇത് അപേക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• śarīra-nāśam: destruction of the body
• śarīra-nāśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (शरीर) + nāśa (नाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘destruction of the body’

• kṛṣṇāt: from Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ‘from Kṛṣṇa’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• avāpsyasi: will obtain
• avāpsyasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future/भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘you will obtain/meet with’

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Pratijna (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (संशय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति-लोपे) ‘(there is) doubt’

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (एवम् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• śaptaḥ: cursed
• śaptaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śap (शप् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘cursed’

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by Brahmā’

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (अदस् सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (विष्णु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘this (request/matter)’

• ayācata: requested
• ayācata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yāc (याच् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘begged/requested’

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Brahmā’s curse and ensuing request)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā pronounces a definitive curse: death by Kṛṣṇa. The cursed figure, shaken, turns toward Viṣṇu in supplication, shifting from defiance to petition.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions and speech bring consequences; yet even under fate, one turns to the divine (Viṣṇu) seeking a higher, dharmic outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative and theological.