Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तथा च पतमानांश्च दृष्ट्वा चान्यान्सहस्रशः । आत्मनश्च महद्दुःखं जायते च तदद्भुतम्

Transliteration

tathā ca patamānāṃśca dṛṣṭvā cānyānsahasraśaḥ | ātmanaśca mahadduḥkhaṃ jāyate ca tadadbhutam

Translation

又复见千千万万他人正在坠落（自天界而下），自身心中便生起一种惊异而巨大的忧苦。

Word by Word

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• patamānān: those who are falling
• patamānān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (तान्) पतमानान्—falling

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• anyān: others
• anyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousand, in thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/वितरणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (by thousands)

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (duḥkham)

• duḥkham: sorrow
• duḥkham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (जायते) कर्तृपद (subject)

• jāyate: arises, is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (adbhutam)

• adbhutam: wonderful, astonishing
• adbhutam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (predicate adjective)

Speaker

A heavenly messenger (dūta) addressing Mudgala (contextual deduction from v.25)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor / Mudgala within the episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial vista where radiant beings begin to descend/fall; the observer’s face shows astonishment turning into deep sorrow; the sky is luminous yet ominous.

Characters & Entities

• Patana (fall from Svarga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Witnessing others’ downfall reveals the impermanence of heavenly states and encourages dispassion toward them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is contemplative, emphasizing the insecurity of Svarga.