Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

शप्तोऽस्माभिस्तु दुर्वृत्तस्तस्य लिंगं निपातितम् । तस्मिन्निपतितेऽस्माकं तथैव पतितानि च

Transliteration

śapto'smābhistu durvṛttastasya liṃgaṃ nipātitam | tasminnipatite'smākaṃ tathaiva patitāni ca

Translation

ہم نے اُس بدکردار کو شاپ دیا تو اُس کا لِنگ گر پڑا۔ جب وہ گرا تو ہماری حالت بھی اسی طرح (اپنے مرتبے سے) گر گئی۔

Word by Word

• śaptaḥ: (he was) cursed
• śaptaḥ: Kriyā (verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense ‘cursed’

• asmābhiḥ: by us
• asmābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), contrast/emphasis

• durvṛttaḥ: wicked, of bad conduct
• durvṛttaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (उपपद/प्रादि): duṣṭaṃ vṛttaṃ yasya; Adjective (विशेषण), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• liṅgam: mark/sign; (here) phallus
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• nipātitam: was made to fall/was felled
• nipātitam: Kriyā (verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-pat (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with 'liṅgam'

• tasmin: when/wherein that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• nipatite: when it had fallen
• nipatite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-pat (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); locative absolute with 'tasmin'

• asmākam: of us/our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb/क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), emphasis

• patitāni: fell down
• patitāni: Kriyā (verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); implied subject ‘(our) [things] fell’

• ca: and
• ca: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya (conjunction/समुच्चय-अव्यय)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests afflicted beings/attendants narrating to Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a moment of wrath, sages pronounce a curse; the ascetic’s liṅga symbolically ‘falls’, and immediately the sages themselves suffer the same humiliating fall—faces turning from anger to shock.

Characters & Entities

• śāpa (curse)
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse driven by misjudgment rebounds upon the curser; adharmic reaction produces collective downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where actions toward Śaiva symbols and saints are portrayed as having immediate spiritual consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the focus is on the ethical-spiritual consequence of cursing and disrespect.