Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

व्यंजनैर्हन्ति वै पुत्रान्कुलं हन्यात्पयोधरा । गतिमिष्टां तथा लोकान्हंति सा रजसा पितुः

Transliteration

vyaṃjanairhanti vai putrānkulaṃ hanyātpayodharā | gatimiṣṭāṃ tathā lokānhaṃti sā rajasā pituḥ

Translation

(ଅନୁଚିତ) ବ୍ୟଞ୍ଜନ-ଭୋଗରେ ସେ ପୁତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ ନାଶ କରେ; ସ୍ତନମୋହରେ କୁଳଧାରା ଭଙ୍ଗ ହୁଏ। ରଜଃ-ଦୋଷରେ ସେ ପିତାଙ୍କ ଇଷ୍ଟ ଗତି ଓ ଅଭିଲଷିତ ଲୋକପ୍ରାପ୍ତିକୁ ଅବରୋଧ କରେ।

Word by Word

• vyaṃjanaiḥ: by adornments/marks
• vyaṃjanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyaṃjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• hanti: kills/destroys
• hanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• kulam: family/lineage
• kulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hanyāt: would destroy
• hanyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• payodharā: a breast-bearing woman (woman with breasts)
• payodharā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payo-dhara (payaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पयः धरतीति/पयोधरा)

• gatim: course, destiny
• gatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iṣṭām: desired, wished-for
• iṣṭām: Karma-qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (√iṣ (इष्) + kta)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying gati)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Connector/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunction: ‘also/likewise’)

• lokān: worlds
• lokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• hanti: destroys
• hanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rajasā: by menses
• rajasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pituḥ: of the father
• pituḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (context: Śiva instructing Pārvatī in Śrāddhakalpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory tableau: a household lineage tree withering as indulgence and impurity are personified; a father’s ritual path (a luminous road to higher lokas) is shown obstructed by a dark veil labeled rajas/impurity, while a sage points in admonition.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha and pitṛ-related rites are portrayed as highly purity-sensitive; indulgence and impurity are said to obstruct spiritual welfare and lineage stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), though this verse itself is a dharma/eligibility warning within the Śrāddha section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it frames consequences connected to purity and conduct relevant to śrāddha and pitṛ-kārya.