Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तत्कृत्वा गर्हितं कर्म देवादेशात्सुदारुणम् । पुनः पितामहं द्रष्टुं गतास्ताः सुरसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatkṛtvā garhitaṃ karma devādeśātsudāruṇam | punaḥ pitāmahaṃ draṣṭuṃ gatāstāḥ surasattamāḥ

Translation

Matapos gawin ang mabagsik na gawaing iyon—bagaman sinisisi—dahil ito’y utos ng mga diyos, ang mga pinakadakila sa mga makalangit ay muling nagtungo upang makita si Pitāmaha (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having done'

• garhitaṃ: blameworthy
• garhitaṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garhita (√गर्ह् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of karma)

• karma: deed, act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• deva-ādeśāt: from the command of the gods
• deva-ādeśāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: 'order of the gods'); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• su-dāruṇam: very dreadful
• su-dāruṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of karma)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

• pitāmaham: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): 'to see'

• gatāḥ: went
• gatāḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु √गम्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as finite sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (they went)

• tāḥ: those (they)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• sura-sattamāḥ: the best of the gods
• sura-sattamāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: 'best among gods'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; likely Sūta in the wider framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of radiant devas, subdued and solemn after a censured but commanded deed, approach Brahmā (Pitāmaha) seated on a lotus-throne, seeking judgment and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Devas
• Surasattamāḥ (chief celestials)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma often frames hard actions as acceptable when performed under divine instruction and for cosmic necessity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose māhātmya includes profound episodes involving devas and Brahmā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; the verse narrates completion of a commanded act and a return to Brahmā.