Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

एतावान्मम शापोऽयं वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः । तेनोक्तं त्वां यदा कश्चित्प्रश्नं विख्यापयिष्यति

Transliteration

etāvānmama śāpo'yaṃ vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ | tenoktaṃ tvāṃ yadā kaścitpraśnaṃ vikhyāpayiṣyati

Translation

“Inilah kadar sumpahanku, yang dikenakan oleh Mahātmā Vasiṣṭha. Baginda telah menyatakan bahawa apabila seseorang mengemukakan kepadamu suatu pertanyaan tertentu, (maka syarat itu akan terlaksana).”

Word by Word

• एतावान्: this much/so great
• एतावान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक विशेषण

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण (deictic)

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to वसिष्ठस्य)

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

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here predicate: 'was said'

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (when)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• प्रश्नम्: a question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विख्यापयिष्यति: will announce/ask openly
• विख्यापयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्): 'will cause to be made known/announce'

Speaker

Saudāsa (continuing his explanation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ṛṣi (Vasiṣṭha) pronounces the bounded extent of a curse, indicating that a future question will complete its term; the cursed being listens with folded hands, the atmosphere charged with fate.

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions against dharma can bind one through a curse, yet resolution comes through a destined moment of truth and right inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it explains the mechanics of a curse within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a conditional prophecy-like clause of a curse.