Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा देहमिमं ब्राह्म्यं क्षत्रियाणां कुले भव । स्वायंभुवत्वं संत्यज्य दक्ष प्राचेतसो भव

Transliteration

tyaktvā dehamimaṃ brāhmyaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ kule bhava | svāyaṃbhuvatvaṃ saṃtyajya dakṣa prācetaso bhava

Translation

“จงละกายอันเกิดในพราหมณ์นี้ แล้วไปบังเกิดในตระกูลกษัตริย์ จงสละฐานะสวายัมภูวะเสียเถิด โอ้ทักษะ จงเป็นปราเจตสะ”

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (देहम् इति)

• ब्राह्म्यम्: brahminical
• ब्राह्म्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (देहम् इति)

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कुले: in a family/lineage
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• भव: be / become
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• स्वायंभुवत्वम्: the status of Svāyambhuva
• स्वायंभुवत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाववाचक-तद्धित/कृदन्त-प्राय (त्व-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संत्यज्य: having renounced
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + त्यज् (धातु) → संत्यज्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• दक्ष: O Dakṣa
• दक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• प्राचेतसः: Prācetasa (son of Pracetas)
• प्राचेतसः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राचेतस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम/उपाधि

• भव: be / become
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara) addressing Dakṣa (as part of the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva utters a precise genealogical curse: Dakṣa will abandon his Brahmin-born body, be reborn among Kṣatriyas, and relinquish Svāyambhuva status to become Prācetasa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dakṣa
• Kṣatriya (lineage)
• Svāyambhuva
• Prācetasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Status and birth are not ultimate; arrogance toward the Divine leads to downfall and enforced humility through karmic reordering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is presented within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, amplifying the kṣetra’s sacred narrative authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a declarative curse shaping rebirth and social station.