Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

समातामह दोषेण तेन कालात्मकाननः । स धर्मं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा पापबुद्धिरजायत

Transliteration

samātāmaha doṣeṇa tena kālātmakānanaḥ | sa dharmaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā pāpabuddhirajāyata

Translation

മാതാമഹനിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ദോഷം മൂലം അവന്റെ മുഖം തന്നെ കാലമൃത്യുസ്വരൂപമായി. ധർമ്മത്തെ പിന്നിലാക്കി അവൻ പാപബുദ്ധിയിലേക്കു വീണു.

Word by Word

• सम-आतामह-दोषेण: due to the fault of (his) maternal grandfather
• सम-आतामह-दोषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + आतामह (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समातामहस्य दोषः)

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• काल-आत्मक-आननः: having a face of death-like nature
• काल-आत्मक-आननः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कालात्मकम् आननं यस्य)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पृष्ठतः: behind
• पृष्ठतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘behind/at the back’)

• कृत्वा: having put/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund), ‘having done/made’

• पाप-बुद्धिः: evil-mindedness / evil intellect
• पाप-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (पापा बुद्धिः)

• अजायत: arose/was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king’s visage darkens into a Kāla-like countenance as he turns his back on Dharma, shown as a radiant figure receding behind him; omens gather over the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Dharma
• Vena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is abandoned, the mind darkens; Purāṇas portray this as a spiritual and social catastrophe beginning within intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains part of the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya’s itihāsa section, setting the stage for later tīrtha-linked redemption.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical narration describing the rise of pāpa-buddhi after rejecting dharma.