Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

मलिनास्ताः कृशांग्यश्च दीनाः सर्वा विचेतसः । ततो दृष्ट्वा तथारूपं दक्षो मोहमुपागतः

Transliteration

malināstāḥ kṛśāṃgyaśca dīnāḥ sarvā vicetasaḥ | tato dṛṣṭvā tathārūpaṃ dakṣo mohamupāgataḥ

Translation

അവർ എല്ലാവരും മലിനരായി, കൃശാംഗികളായി, ദീനരായി, മനസ്സു കലങ്ങിയവരായി മാറി; അവരുടെ ആ രൂപം കണ്ട ദക്ഷൻ മോഹത്തിലായി।

Word by Word

• मलिनाः: impure, soiled
• मलिनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृशाङ्ग्यः: slender-limbed (women)
• कृशाङ्ग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• दीनाः: wretched, distressed
• दीनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• विचेतसः: bewildered, out of their senses
• विचेतसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे: ‘विगतचेतनाः’)

• ततः: then, thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thereupon/then’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• तथारूपम्: such a form/state
• तथारूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मोहम्: delusion, bewilderment
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतः: entered (became affected by)
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः: ‘has reached/entered’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maidens appear thin, sullied, and despondent; Dakṣa beholds their altered forms and is struck with bewilderment—an abrupt shift from radiance to ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Dakṣa's daughters (Nakṣatras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma manifests as visible suffering; a guardian must respond when dependents are harmed by injustice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, linking cosmic order and disorder to sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse describes the daughters’ condition and Dakṣa’s reaction.