Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । यदेतदृषिणा त्यक्तं स्वयमेव कलेवरम् । एतन्मांसादिनिर्मुक्तं क्रियतामस्थिपंजरम्

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | yadetadṛṣiṇā tyaktaṃ svayameva kalevaram | etanmāṃsādinirmuktaṃ kriyatāmasthipaṃjaram

Translation

ദേവന്മാർ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— “ഋഷി സ്വയം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച ഈ ദേഹം, ഇപ്പോൾ മാംസാദികളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തമായതിനാൽ, ഇതിനെ അസ്ഥിപഞ്ജരരൂപമായി ക്രമീകരിക്കട്ടെ।”

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु √वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• etat: this
• etat: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ṛṣiṇā: by the sage
• ṛṣiṇā: Kartr̥/Agent (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• tyaktam: abandoned, left
• tyaktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyaj (धातु √त्यज्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of kalevaram)

• svayam: by itself, oneself
• svayam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: oneself)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• kalevaram: body
• kalevaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalevara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• māṃsa-ādi-nirmuktam: freed from flesh and the like
• māṃsa-ādi-nirmuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + nirmukta (नि: + √मुच् क्त)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; māṃsa-ādi = 'flesh etc.'; तस्मात् nirmukta = 'freed from'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of asthipaṃjaram)

• kriyatām: let it be made
• kriyatām: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): 'let it be made/done'

• asthi-paṃjaram: a skeleton (framework of bones)
• asthi-paṃjaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: 'bone-cage/skeleton'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Devas (the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas point to the ṛṣi’s cast-off body, now devoid of flesh, and instruct that it be arranged as an asthi-pañjara (framework of bones), preparing it for a sanctifying transformation; the mood is austere, ritualistic, and contemplative.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Ṛṣi (unnamed sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even difficult acts may be undertaken under divine ordinance when directed toward restoring sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where extraordinary purificatory and dharmic actions are narrated as part of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific instructed act: transforming the fleshless remains into an asthi-pañjara (skeletal framework).