Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पुरा विधूमनामानं शप्तवांश्चतुराननः । ब्रह्मशापेन घोरेण कयोस्तौ पुत्रतां गतौ

Transliteration

purā vidhūmanāmānaṃ śaptavāṃścaturānanaḥ | brahmaśāpena ghoreṇa kayostau putratāṃ gatau

Translation

पूर्वी चतुरानन ब्रह्मदेवांनी विधूम नावाच्या वसुला शाप दिला. ब्रह्मदेवांच्या त्या घोर शापामुळे ते दोघे पुत्रत्वास गेले.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• विधूमनामानम्: Vidhūmanāmā (as object)
• विधूमनामानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधूमनामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शप्तवान्: having cursed / cursed
• शप्तवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle) ‘शप्तवत्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चतुराननः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुराननः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्+आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—चत्वारि आननानि यस्य (one who has four faces)

• ब्रह्मशापेन: by Brahmā’s curse
• ब्रह्मशापेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मशाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः शापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• घोरेण: terrible
• घोरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कयोः: of which two
• कयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुत्रताम्: sonship (state of being sons)
• पुत्रताम्: Gati/Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतौ: attained/went into
• गतौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle) ‘गत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे—‘(the two) went/attained’

Speaker

Sages (Ṛṣayaḥ) continuing their query (as part of the dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, pronounces a curse; Vidhūma and Alambuṣā’s divine radiance dims as the destiny of human birth (‘putratā’) descends like a veil; symbolic cradle/infant motif foreshadows rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Vidhūma
• Alambuṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions have consequences across realms; a curse can redirect destiny into rebirth, underscoring karmic accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha is the implied sacred solution in the surrounding passage, though this verse emphasizes the curse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the effect of the curse as rebirth into a dependent human condition.