Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

भोभोः कापालिक क्षुद्र पत्न्योऽस्माकं जिहीर्षसि । तदेतद्भूषितं लिंग भूमौ रुद्र पतिष्यति

Transliteration

bhobhoḥ kāpālika kṣudra patnyo'smākaṃ jihīrṣasi | tadetadbhūṣitaṃ liṃga bhūmau rudra patiṣyati

Translation

ارے ارے، اے ذلیل کاپالک! تو ہماری بیویوں کو چھیننے کا ارادہ رکھتا ہے۔ اس لیے یہ آراستہ لِنگ، اے رُدر، زمین پر گر پڑے گا۔

Word by Word

• भोभोः: hey! hey!
• भोभोः: Sambodhana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (द्विरुक्त) — Vocative particle (reduplicated)

• कापालिक: O skull-bearing ascetic (Kāpālika)
• कापालिक: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षुद्र: O wretched one
• क्षुद्र: Sambodhana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; विशेषण

• पत्न्यः: wives
• पत्न्यः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive, Plural

• जिहीर्षसि: you wish to take away
• जिहीर्षसि: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: सन्नन्त (इच्छार्थक) धातुरूप: जिहीर्ष-; लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd person, Singular; desiderative (want to take away)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; here प्रथमा (subject)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; तत् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• भूषितम्: adorned
• भूषितम्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूषित (कृदन्त; भूष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; here प्रथमा

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रुद्र: O Rudra
• रुद्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पतिष्यति: will fall
• पतिष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Simple Future, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Munis (sages) in the narrative (addressing Rudra as ‘Kāpālika’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic frame; context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heated confrontation: householders or guardians denounce a Kāpālika accused of abducting wives; an ornamented liṅga is shown ominously tilting/falling to the earth as a sign of curse and loss of auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpālika
• Rudra
• Liṅga
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misrecognition of the divine leads to offense; yet even harsh speech becomes part of a sacred unfolding that later sanctifies places and practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsakṣetra; the Dāruvana episode is used as sacred backstory within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual appears; the verse centers on the liṅga motif and the curse’s pronouncement.