Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मवाक्येन राजर्षे चकम्पे वसुधा ततः । शीर्णानि गिरिशृंगाणि चुक्षुभुर्मकरालयाः

Transliteration

brahmavākyena rājarṣe cakampe vasudhā tataḥ | śīrṇāni giriśṛṃgāṇi cukṣubhurmakarālayāḥ

Translation

اے راجرشی! اُس برہما سمان کلام کے اثر سے زمین لرز اٹھی؛ پہاڑوں کی چوٹیاں ریزہ ریزہ ہو گئیں، اور مکراؤں کے مسکن سمندر طوفانی جوش میں اُبل پڑے۔

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मवाक्येन: by Brahmā's word
• ब्रह्मवाक्येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणो वाक्येन)

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• राजर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• चकम्पे: trembled
• चकम्पे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वसुधा: the earth
• वसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Anantarya (Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• शीर्णानि: shattered, broken
• शीर्णानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त; from √शॄ/√शृ to decay)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गिरिशृंगाणि: mountain-peaks
• गिरिशृंगाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरेः शृंगाणि)

• चुक्षुभुः: were agitated
• चुक्षुभुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• मकरालयाः: oceans (abodes of makaras)
• मकरालयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर + आलय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मकराणाम् आलयाः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājarṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As the curse takes effect, the ground cracks and trembles; distant mountain crests crumble; the ocean surface churns with makaras; sages and forest creatures freeze in terror under a darkened sky.

Characters & Entities

• rājarṣi
• vasudhā
• makarālaya (oceans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic universe is morally responsive: disruptive speech and adharma manifest as cosmic imbalance and ominous signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narration remains within Arbuda-kṣetra’s māhātmya, framing the region as a stage for world-affecting divine events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes portentous upheavals.