Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सुखभंगांश्च कुरुते लोको वातगृहीतवत् । भूतवद्भस्ममूत्रांबुकर्दमानवगाहते

Transliteration

sukhabhaṃgāṃśca kurute loko vātagṛhītavat | bhūtavadbhasmamūtrāṃbukardamānavagāhate

Translation

ജനങ്ങൾ വാതഗ്രസ്തനെപ്പോലെ സാധാരണ സുഖശാന്തി തകർക്കുന്നു; ഭൂതഗ്രസ്തരെപ്പോലെ ചാരം, മൂത്രം, വെള്ളം, ചെളി എന്നിവയിൽ ഇറങ്ങി മുങ്ങുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सुखभङ्गान्: breakings of happiness; disruptions of comfort
• सुखभङ्गान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; सुख + भङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुखस्य भङ्गाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• कुरुते: does; makes
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोकः: the world; people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वातगृहीतवत्: like one seized by wind
• वातगृहीतवत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात-गृहीत-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; वात + गृहीत (ग्रह्-धातोः क्त) + वत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like comparative); उपमानवाचक; ‘वातगृहीत’ इति षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (वातेन गृहीतः) + वत् (like)

• भूतवत्: like a ghost/being
• भूतवत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूत-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + वत्)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: ‘like a spirit/being’)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• मूत्र: urine
• मूत्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• कर्दम: mud
• कर्दम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अनवगाहते: wades into; plunges into
• अनवगाहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः अव; नकार-आगमः (अनवगाहते)

Speaker

Pārvatī / Devī (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Crowds behave as if seized by a wind-spirit: disrupting normal life, plunging into ash, urine, water, and mud—an unsettling tableau at the margins of a sacred town.

Characters & Entities

• people (lokaḥ)
• bhūta (spirit) (as category)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is clouded, behavior turns chaotic and impure—necessitating scriptural guidance and sacred remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra broadly; the verse continues the Bhūtamātṛkā-related narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated here; it emphasizes the contrast between impurity and the need for proper śāstric conduct.