Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

मम शापमविज्ञाय नन्दनप्रतिमे वने । कथं सा रुक्मिणी तत्र रमते जनसेविते

Transliteration

mama śāpamavijñāya nandanapratime vane | kathaṃ sā rukmiṇī tatra ramate janasevite

Translation

Nang hindi man lamang inaalintana ang aking sumpa, paano nagagalak si Rukmiṇī roon—sa kakahuyang tulad ng Nandana, na dinarayo at pinaglilingkuran ng mga tao?

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing / without realizing
• अविज्ञाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + अव- (उपसर्ग); अविज्ञाय (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• नन्दन-प्रतिमे: in (a forest) like Nandana (garden)
• नन्दन-प्रतिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नन्दनस्य प्रतिमा इव), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Interrogative adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• रमते: delights / enjoys
• रमते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• जन-सेविते: frequented by people
• जन-सेविते: Adhikarana (Qualifier of location/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (सेव् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जनैः सेविते), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-vana (Dvārakā)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lush grove like Nandana: tall trees, birds, fragrance, devotees attending; Durvāsā’s words cast a shadow over the scene as he questions how Rukmiṇī can delight there despite his curse.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Rukmiṇī
• Nandana (celestial garden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives caution that even beautiful, popular holy places can be affected by the moral force of a curse and the conduct of devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rukmiṇī-vana (Rukmiṇī’s grove) in Dvārakā, described as Nandana-like and much visited.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse comments on the grove’s popularity and the tension with Durvāsā’s śāpa.