Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

कृमयो मांसमादाय प्रयास्यंति महीतलम् । कृतं तस्या वचः सत्यं त्वं च त्रातो भविष्यसि

Transliteration

kṛmayo māṃsamādāya prayāsyaṃti mahītalam | kṛtaṃ tasyā vacaḥ satyaṃ tvaṃ ca trāto bhaviṣyasi

Translation

“หนอนทั้งหลายจะคาบเอาเนื้อไปแล้วมุดลงสู่พื้นดิน ดังนี้ถ้อยคำของนางจักเป็นจริง และเจ้าก็จักพ้นภัย”

Word by Word

• कृमयः: worms
• कृमयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• मांसम्: flesh
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive): ‘having taken’

• प्रयास्यन्ति: will go
• प्रयास्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• महीतलम्: to the ground/earth-surface
• महीतलम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मह्याः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृतम्: done/fulfilled
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेयम्

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वचः: word/speech
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (वचः-विशेषणम्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction: and)

• त्रातः: saved/protected
• त्रातः: Karta (Predicate to subject/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘saved/protected’

• भविष्यसि: you will be
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Chāyā (continuing assurance within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: his son (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark, symbolic pronouncement: worms consume and carry away flesh into the earth, thereby fulfilling a mother’s word while ensuring the son’s rescue—an uncanny blend of decay and deliverance.

Characters & Entities

• Worms (kṛmi)
• Earth (mahī)
• Mother’s word (mātuḥ vacaḥ)
• Son (putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness is upheld even amid suffering; dharmic resolution seeks to preserve satya while granting protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa) is the māhātmya setting, though the verse itself narrates ethical consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it speaks of consequence and protection rather than a vrata, snāna, or dāna.