Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

एतावान्मम शापोऽयं वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः । तेनोक्तं त्वां यदा कश्चित्प्रश्नं विख्यापयिष्यति

Transliteration

etāvānmama śāpo'yaṃ vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ | tenoktaṃ tvāṃ yadā kaścitpraśnaṃ vikhyāpayiṣyati

Translation

മഹാത്മാവായ വസിഷ്ഠൻ എനിക്കു നൽകിയ ശാപം ഇത്രയേ ഉള്ളൂ. അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞത്—ആരെങ്കിലും നിന്നോട് ഒരു നിർദ്ദിഷ്ട ചോദ്യം ചോദിക്കുന്ന സമയത്ത് ആ നിബന്ധന പൂർത്തിയാകും.

Word by Word

• एतावान्: this much/so great
• एतावान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक विशेषण

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण (deictic)

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to वसिष्ठस्य)

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here predicate: 'was said'

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (when)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• प्रश्नम्: a question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विख्यापयिष्यति: will announce/ask openly
• विख्यापयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्): 'will cause to be made known/announce'

Speaker

Saudāsa (continuing his explanation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ṛṣi (Vasiṣṭha) pronounces the bounded extent of a curse, indicating that a future question will complete its term; the cursed being listens with folded hands, the atmosphere charged with fate.

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions against dharma can bind one through a curse, yet resolution comes through a destined moment of truth and right inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it explains the mechanics of a curse within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a conditional prophecy-like clause of a curse.