Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कस्मादेवंविधा भूत्वा जराजर्जरितं भुवि । त्वमुपास्ये हि कल्याणि कामभावबहिष्कृतम्

Transliteration

kasmādevaṃvidhā bhūtvā jarājarjaritaṃ bhuvi | tvamupāsye hi kalyāṇi kāmabhāvabahiṣkṛtam

Translation

ഹേ കല്യാണി! നീ ഇങ്ങനെ മഹത്തായവളായിരിക്കെ ഭൂമിയിൽ വാർദ്ധക്യത്താൽ ജർജരിതനും കാമഭാവത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ബഹിഷ്കൃതനുമായ അവനെ എന്തിന് ഉപാസിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what (cause), why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• एवं-विधा: such (of this kind)
• एवं-विधा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (एवम् प्रकारा)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालः (having become)

• जरā-जरजरितम्: worn out by old age
• जरā-जरजरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरā (प्रातिपदिक) + जरजरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (जरया जरजरितम्)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: पृथ्वी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• उपास्ये: I worship/serve
• उपास्ये: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• काम-भाव-बहिष्कृतम्: cast out from desire/sexual feeling
• काम-भाव-बहिष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (कामभावात् बहिष्कृतम्)

Speaker

Aśvinau

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of sages/seekers (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa’s sacred precinct, two radiant divine youths address Sukanyā, questioning why she serves an aged, frail sage-husband; Sukanyā stands composed, modest, and resolute.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau
• Sukanyā
• Cyavana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested when worldly logic mocks renunciation; the narrative elevates service rooted in virtue over desire-centered judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Cyavana–Sukanyā episode preserved in its Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative argument contrasting sensual desire with ascetic condition.