Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

दक्ष उवाच । मया शापहतः सोम त्रातुं शक्यो न दैवतैः । यद्यद्ब्रवीम्यहं सोम तत्तथेति न संशयः

Transliteration

dakṣa uvāca | mayā śāpahataḥ soma trātuṃ śakyo na daivataiḥ | yadyadbravīmyahaṃ soma tattatheti na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ദക്ഷൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സോമാ, എന്റെ ശാപത്താൽ പീഡിതനായ നിന്നെ ദേവന്മാർക്കും രക്ഷിക്കാനാവില്ല. എങ്കിലും ഹേ സോമാ, ഞാൻ പറയുന്നതെല്ലാം അതുപോലെ തന്നെയാകും; സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शापहतः: struck by a curse
• शापहतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप-हत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘हत’ (√हन्) ; ‘शापेन हतः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष

• सोम: O Soma
• सोम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• त्रातुम्: to save
• त्रातुम्: Prayojana/Artha (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive), ‘to protect/save’

• शक्यः: possible/able (to be done)
• शक्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक् (धातु) + यत् (potential passive participle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• दैवतैः: by the gods/divinities
• दैवतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘whatever/that which’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (यद्यत् = whatever)

• ब्रवीमि: I say
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सोम: O Soma
• सोम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमन-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa speaks with firm authority: the curse stands beyond even the gods’ power, yet he assures Soma that his forthcoming instruction will certainly manifest.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Soma
• Devatāḥ (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic and verbal decrees (śāpa) are portrayed as powerful; resolution lies not in worldly power but in the highest divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching unfolds within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, where the ultimate remedy is connected to Śiva and the sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it prepares the instruction that only Śiva can truly grant deliverance.