Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा महादेवः सतीं प्राणैर्विना स्थिताम् । अवमानात्तथाऽत्मानं त्यक्त्वा मत्वा कपालिनम्

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā mahādevaḥ satīṃ prāṇairvinā sthitām | avamānāttathā'tmānaṃ tyaktvā matvā kapālinam

Translation

Pagkaraan, nakita ni Mahādeva si Satī na nakahimlay na wala nang hininga; dinala niya sa puso ang paghamak, inari ang sarili bilang Kāpālin, ang may dalang bungo, at iniwan ang karaniwang pagtingin sa sarili.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• सतीम्: Sati
• सतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• प्राणैः: with life-breaths
• प्राणैः: Sahacarya/Viśeṣaṇa (Accompaniment qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• विना: without
• विना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थक-अव्ययम् (preposition ‘without’), तृतीया-सह (governs instrumental)

• स्थिताम्: lying/standing (being)
• स्थिताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘standing/being’

• अवमानात्: from insult
• अवमानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्ययम् (adverb ‘thus/so’)

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having considered/thinking’

• कपालिनम्: Kapālin (skull-bearer; Śiva)
• कपालिनम्: Karma (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/kingly interlocutors typical of Māhātmya frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva beholds Satī lifeless; his face shifts from stunned grief to terrible resolve, adopting the kapālin aspect—matted locks, ash-smeared body, skull-emblem—while the world darkens in sympathy.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Satī
• Kapālin (skull-bearer aspect)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Insult to the sacred leads to cosmic rupture; Śiva’s fierce vow-forms arise to restore dharma when devotion is violated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsa-kṣetra via its Māhātmya, which situates major Shaiva events within its sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse signals Śiva’s transition to a fierce vow-aspect (Kapālin) in response to adharma.