Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्यान्ववाये जातस्तु शंखचकगदाधरः । यमस्तु मात्रा संशप्तो हीनपादो धरातले

Transliteration

tasyānvavāye jātastu śaṃkhacakagadādharaḥ | yamastu mātrā saṃśapto hīnapādo dharātale

Translation

അവന്റെ വംശത്തിൽ ശംഖ-ചക്ര-ഗദാധാരി ഒരാൾ ജനിച്ചു. എന്നാൽ യമൻ മാതൃശാപം മൂലം ഭൂമിയിൽ പാദദോഷമുള്ളവനായി (ഹീനപാദനായി) ആയി.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्ववाये: in the lineage, in succession
• अन्ववाये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्ववाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावार्थे (born)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• शंखचकगदाधरः: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शंखचकगदाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख-चक्र-गदा-धर (प्रातिपदिक); शंख + चक्र + गदा + धर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘धारयति’ इति)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• मात्रा: by (his) mother
• मात्रा: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• संशप्तः: was cursed
• संशप्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-शप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• हीनपादः: with deficient feet, footless/crippled
• हीनपादः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन-पाद (प्रातिपदिक); हीन + पाद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (यमः)

• धरातले: on the surface of the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा-तल (प्रातिपदिक); धरा + तल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate chapter context of Yameśvara narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant figure bearing śaṅkha-cakra-gadā appears in a royal lineage tableau, while Yama—dark-hued, solemn—stands earthbound with weakened feet, marked by a maternal curse; the contrast of glory and affliction is emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic authorities like Yama are bound by dharma and karmic consequences; sacred narratives frame suffering as a doorway to later grace in a holy kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), where the Yameśvara tradition is being established through Yama’s account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it sets the narrative cause for later worship and merit connected with Yameśvara at Prabhāsa.