Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । अशोभनमिदं कार्यं युष्माभिर्यत्कृतं महत् । रुद्रस्यातिसुरूपस्य सेर्ष्या ये हन्तुमुद्यताः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | aśobhanamidaṃ kāryaṃ yuṣmābhiryatkṛtaṃ mahat | rudrasyātisurūpasya serṣyā ye hantumudyatāḥ

Translation

பிரம்மா கூறினார்—நீங்கள் செய்த இந்தப் பெரிய செயல் அழகானதல்ல; பொறாமையால் தூண்டப்பட்டு, மிக அழகிய ருத்ரனைத் தாக்கி அழிக்கத் தயாரானீர்கள்.

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aśobhanam: inauspicious, improper
• aśobhanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समासार्थ (privative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here predicative with kāryam

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; deictic with kāryam

• kāryam: deed, act
• kāryam: Karta (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाक्ये विषय

• yuṣmābhiḥ: by you (all)
• yuṣmābhiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, तृतीया (3rd); करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to kāryam

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; agrees with yat/kāryam

• mahat: great, serious
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; agrees with yat/kāryam

• rudrasya: of Rudra
• rudrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ati-surūpasya: of the very handsome one
• ati-surūpasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + surūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-प्रयोग (intensifier ati-), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; agrees with rudrasya

• sa-īrṣyāḥ: jealous
• sa-īrṣyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (सह/युक्त) + īrṣyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सह-प्रयोग (with), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicate/attribute of ye

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; relative pronoun (subject)

• hantum: to kill
• hantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• udyatāḥ: ready, intent
• udyatāḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-√yam (धातु) → udyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicate of ye

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The assembled sages (ṛṣayaḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks with firm compassion, admonishing the sages: their act was unseemly, born of jealousy, aimed at harming Rudra—whose beauty and auspiciousness are beyond assault.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Rudra (Śiva)
• īrṣyā (jealousy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Jealousy toward the divine becomes aparādha; dharma requires reverence and humility before Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Brahmā’s teaching underscores the sanctity of Śaiva presence and conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is ethical instruction (upadeśa) condemning jealousy and violence.