Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

कृत्वा तपोबलं घोरं गच्छध्वं नरकं पुनः । भविष्यति हृषीकेशः स्वामी वोऽपि पराङ्मुखः

Transliteration

kṛtvā tapobalaṃ ghoraṃ gacchadhvaṃ narakaṃ punaḥ | bhaviṣyati hṛṣīkeśaḥ svāmī vo'pi parāṅmukhaḥ

Translation

ഭീകരമായ തപസ്സും തപോബലവും നേടിയിട്ടും നിങ്ങൾ വീണ്ടും നരകത്തിലേക്കു പോകും; നിങ്ങളുടെ സ്വാമിയായ ഹൃഷീകേശൻ (വിഷ്ണു) പോലും നിങ്ങളോടു വിമുഖനാകും।

Word by Word

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Converb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• tapo-balam: the power of austerity
• tapo-balam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः बलम्)

• ghoram: terrible, intense
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapo-balam)

• gacchadhvam: go
• gacchadhvam: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• narakam: to hell
• narakam: Karma/Gati (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनरर्थे (again)

• bhaviṣyati: will be/become
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīka + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हृषीकाणाम् ईशः)

• svāmī: the master
• svāmī: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vaḥ: of you / to you
• vaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; enclitic pronoun

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• parāṅmukhaḥ: turned away, averse
• parāṅmukhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective of hṛṣīkeśaḥ/svāmī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parāṅ + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (पराङ् मुखः)

Speaker

Dadhīca Ṛṣi (culmination of the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern pronouncement: ascetics or ritualists, proud of fierce austerities, are shown being turned away by Hṛṣīkeśa; the atmosphere is admonitory, with a shadow of naraka imagery behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Naraka
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity without right devotion and dharma does not save; divine grace withdraws from the obstinately irreverent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it cautions that tapas alone is insufficient without proper worship and reverence.