Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

प्राणसंशयमापन्नस्ततश्चिंतापरोऽभवत् । शप्येहं यदि दैतेयांस्तपसः किं व्ययेन मे

Transliteration

prāṇasaṃśayamāpannastataściṃtāparo'bhavat | śapyehaṃ yadi daiteyāṃstapasaḥ kiṃ vyayena me

Translation

ജീവൻ അപകടത്തിലായപ്പോൾ അവൻ ആഴത്തിലുള്ള ചിന്തയിൽ മുങ്ങി—“ഞാൻ ഈ ദൈത്യരെ ശപിച്ചാൽ, കോപത്തിൽ എന്റെ തപസ്സ് ചെലവായി പോയാൽ അതിന്റെ പ്രയോജനം എന്ത്?”

Word by Word

• prāṇa-saṃśayam: danger to life
• prāṇa-saṃśayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्राण प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśaya (संशय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (प्राणेषु संशयः)

• āpannaḥ: having fallen into
• āpannaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-pad (आ√पद् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; (he) having fallen into/reached

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्ययम् (then/from that)

• cintā-paraḥ: absorbed in anxiety
• cintā-paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā (चिन्ता प्रातिपदिक) + para (पर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (intent on worry)

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• śapye: I curse
• śapye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (शप् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्ययम् (if)

• daiteyān: the Daityas (demons)
• daiteyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiteya (दैतेय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• tapasaḥ: of austerity
• tapasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (तपस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक

• vyayena: by the expenditure
• vyayena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyaya (व्यय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• me: of mine/to me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating the sage’s inner deliberation (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā/Ānarta (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battered sage, life in peril, sits or leans in contemplation, eyes lowered; the world’s violence recedes as he weighs whether to curse, choosing to preserve tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is guarded by self-restraint; anger and cursing can squander spiritual power meant for higher purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā sacred sphere frames the episode, where refuge and tīrtha-merit become the dharmic resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the ethical discipline of an ascetic.