Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा पिकस्वरं रंभां दृष्ट्वा च मुनिपुंगवः । संशयाविष्टहृदयो विदित्वा शक्रकर्म तत् । शशाप रंभां क्रोधेन विश्वामित्रस्तपोधनः

Transliteration

śrutvā pikasvaraṃ raṃbhāṃ dṛṣṭvā ca munipuṃgavaḥ | saṃśayāviṣṭahṛdayo viditvā śakrakarma tat | śaśāpa raṃbhāṃ krodhena viśvāmitrastapodhanaḥ

Translation

เมื่อได้ยินเสียงกาเหว่าและเห็นนางรัมภา ฤๅษีผู้ประเสริฐก็มีดวงใจถูกความสงสัยครอบงำ ครั้นรู้ว่าเป็นกลอุบายของศักระ (พระอินทร์) วิศวามิตรผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยตบะจึงกริ้วและสาปนางรัมภา

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• पिक-स्वरम्: the cuckoo’s voice
• पिक-स्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘पिकस्य स्वरः’

• रम्भाम्: Rambhā
• रम्भाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मुनि-पुङ्गवः: the foremost sage
• मुनि-पुङ्गवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मुनीनां पुङ्गवः’ (best of sages)

• संशय-आविष्ट-हृदयः: whose heart was seized by doubt
• संशय-आविष्ट-हृदयः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; आ-√विश्) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘संशयेन आविष्टं हृदयम् यस्य’ (heart seized by doubt)

• विदित्वा: having understood
• विदित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• शक्र-कर्म: Indra’s deed
• शक्र-कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘शक्रस्य कर्म’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शशाप: cursed
• शशाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रम्भाम्: Rambhā
• रम्भाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• क्रोधेन: with anger
• क्रोधेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तपो-धनः: whose wealth was austerity
• तपो-धनः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘तपः धनं यस्य’

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitrāśrama

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage, hearing the cuckoo and seeing Rambhā, narrows his gaze in suspicion; realization dawns that Indra is behind it. His ascetic calm breaks into fiery anger as he pronounces a curse, while Rambhā stands startled, the forest momentarily tense and still.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rambhā
• Indra (Śakra)
• Pika (cuckoo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas grants discernment and power, yet anger can still erupt; the verse warns that spiritual strength must be paired with restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is an event within the Setukhaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates recognition of deceit and the issuing of a curse.