Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवं शप्त्वा तु तं देवी ह्यज्ञात्वा गर्भकारिणम् । पुनर्यातुं समारब्धा तद्दधीचिनिकेतनम्

Transliteration

evaṃ śaptvā tu taṃ devī hyajñātvā garbhakāriṇam | punaryātuṃ samārabdhā taddadhīciniketanam

Translation

ครั้นนางเทวีได้สาปเขาเช่นนั้น ทั้งที่มิรู้ผู้เป็นเหตุแห่งครรภ์โดยแท้ นางก็เตรียมจะกลับไปยังนิเวศน์ของทธีจิอีกครั้ง

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• शप्त्वा: having cursed
• शप्त्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having cursed'

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवी: the देवी (goddess/lady)
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• अज्ञात्वा: not knowing
• अज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + नञ् (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'not knowing'

• गर्भकारिणम्: the one who caused the pregnancy
• गर्भकारिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (गर्भं करोति इति)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'again')

• यातुम्: to go
• यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive): 'to go'

• समारब्धा: having set out/begun
• समारब्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+रभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having begun/undertaken' (agreeing with 'devī')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'niketanam')

• दधीचि-निकेतनम्: the abode of Dadhīci
• दधीचि-निकेतनम्: Karma (Object/Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक) + निकेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दधीचेः निकेतनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-group (typical frame; not specified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed noble lady, having uttered a curse in confusion, turns back toward the serene hermitage of sage Dadhīci; the path is framed by sacred groves and distant sea-breeze of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance can misdirect even powerful speech; Purāṇic narratives warn that judgment without knowledge may cause unintended harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its ascetic dwellings, especially the āśrama of the sage Dadhīci.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse.