Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

दुर्वाससमथोवाच किमिदं न म्रियेत यत् । मयाऽसकृच्छिरश्छिन्नं खंडशस्तिलशः कृतम्

Transliteration

durvāsasamathovāca kimidaṃ na mriyeta yat | mayā'sakṛcchiraśchinnaṃ khaṃḍaśastilaśaḥ kṛtam

Translation

杜尔瓦萨于是说道：“这是怎么回事，他为何不死？我已多次砍下他的头，将他剁成芝麻般的碎块。”

Word by Word

• durvāsasam: Durvāsas
• durvāsasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर्य-अव्यय (particle: ‘then/now’)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• mriyeta: should die
• mriyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛ (मृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्

• yat: that (which)
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध/हेतुवाचक (‘that which/whereas’)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचनम्

• asakṛt: repeatedly
• asakṛt: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: ‘many times’)

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• chinnam: cut off
• chinnam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: chinna (कृदन्त, √chid छिद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

• khaṇḍaśaḥ: into pieces
• khaṇḍaśaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khaṇḍaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘into pieces’)

• tilaśaḥ: into tiny bits
• tilaśaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tilaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘into sesame-sized bits’)

• kṛtam: done/made
• kṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त, √kṛ कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Narrator reporting Durvāsas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsas, astonished, speaks while the foe—though repeatedly beheaded and chopped into sesame-like bits—still does not die.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas stress causality behind extraordinary events—when outcomes defy ordinary expectation, one must seek the hidden boon, vow, or divine ordinance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within the Dvārakā-māhātmya, keeping Dvārakā’s sacred setting in view.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is an inquiry about the cause of indestructibility.