Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तमागतमृषिं दृष्ट्वा सांबो रूपेण गर्वितः । पिंगाक्षं जटिलं रूक्षं विस्वरूपं कृशं तथा

Transliteration

tamāgatamṛṣiṃ dṛṣṭvā sāṃbo rūpeṇa garvitaḥ | piṃgākṣaṃ jaṭilaṃ rūkṣaṃ visvarūpaṃ kṛśaṃ tathā

Translation

വന്നെത്തിയ ആ ഋഷിയെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, സ്വന്തം രൂപസൗന്ദര്യത്തിൽ ഗർവിച്ച സാംബൻ അവനെ പിങ്ങളനേത്രൻ, ജടാധാരി, രൂക്ഷൻ, വികൃതരൂപൻ, കൃശദേഹൻ എന്നു കരുതി നോക്കി।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगतम्: arrived
• आगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘तम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सांबः: Sāmba
• सांबः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूपेण: by (his) appearance
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• गर्वितः: proud
• गर्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘सांबः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गर्व धात्वर्थ/गर्वय्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• पिङ्गाक्षम्: tawny-eyed
• पिङ्गाक्षम्: Karma (Object-qualifier of ṛṣi)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पिङ्गे अक्षिणी यस्य’ (tawny-eyed)

• जटिलम्: matted-haired
• जटिलम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूक्षम्: rough/harsh
• रूक्षम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्वरूपम्: of strange form
• विस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृशम्: thin
• कृशम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: and so/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, the handsome prince Sāmba, adorned and self-assured, looks with disdain at the austere sage Durvāsā—tawny-eyed, matted-haired, rough-bodied, thin and weathered—creating a stark contrast between royal vanity and ascetic tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Ṛṣi (Durvāsā implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in outer beauty leads to adharma; Purāṇic ethics emphasize humility and reverence toward ṛṣis regardless of appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate scene is part of the Dvāravatī episode, embedded within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya’s larger sacred-history frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets the ethical cause that precipitates the curse narrative.