Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स्वर्गे मर्त्ये च पाताले न दृष्टं न च मे श्रुतम् । तादृग्रूपमहं येन कामबाणवशीकृतः

Transliteration

svarge martye ca pātāle na dṛṣṭaṃ na ca me śrutam | tādṛgrūpamahaṃ yena kāmabāṇavaśīkṛtaḥ

Translation

“سورگ میں، مرتیہ میں یا پاتال میں—ایسی صورت نہ میں نے دیکھی ہے نہ سنی؛ اسی حسن نے مجھے کام دیو کے تیر کے قبضے میں کر دیا ہے۔”

Word by Word

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• martye: in the mortal world
• martye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• pātāle: in the netherworld
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karta (Impersonal passive subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; dṛś-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (seen thing/it was seen)

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• me: by me / of me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th case), एकवचन

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Karta (Impersonal passive subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; śru-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (heard thing/it was heard)

• tādṛk-rūpam: such a form
• tādṛk-rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tādṛk (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तादृशं रूपम्)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• kāma-bāṇa-vaśī-kṛtaḥ: made submissive by Cupid’s arrows
• kāma-bāṇa-vaśī-kṛtaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vaśī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (कामस्य बाणैः वशीकृतः) विशेषण (aham)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing his report, emphasizing the maiden’s extraordinary beauty)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implicit locus of ensuing encounter)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahiṣa (or the asura) speaks in awe and agitation, describing a beauty beyond the three worlds; a subtle, symbolic Cupid-arrow motif pierces his composure.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings can be shaken by desire; the dharmic path demands vigilance and discrimination (viveka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra provides the sacred narrative frame where such trials and teachings are unfolded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the overpowering force of kāma as a narrative driver.