Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

न प्राप्ता दस्युहस्तं ताः स्वेन सत्त्वेन रक्षिताः । शप्त्वैवं ताः स्त्रियः कृष्णः सांबमप्यशपत्पुनः

Transliteration

na prāptā dasyuhastaṃ tāḥ svena sattvena rakṣitāḥ | śaptvaivaṃ tāḥ striyaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sāṃbamapyaśapatpunaḥ

Translation

她们并未落入盗贼之手，因为各自以坚贞之德自护。如此，克里希纳既已诅咒那些女子，随后又再次诅咒了萨姆巴。

Word by Word

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

• prāptāḥ: (were) reached/attained
• prāptāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp + pra (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (here agreeing with implied subject ‘they’/‘those’)

• dasyu-hastam: the hand of the robber
• dasyu-hastam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dasyu (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दस्योः हस्तः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tāḥ: those (women)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• svena: by their own
• svena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental: ‘by/with one’s own’)

• sattvena: by (their) virtue/strength
• sattvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rakṣitāḥ: protected
• rakṣitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु) → rakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (passive sense: ‘were protected’)

• śaptvā: having cursed
• śaptvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śap (धातु) → śaptvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus’)

• tāḥ: those (women)
• tāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• striyaḥ: women
• striyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (object of ‘cursed’)

• kṛṣṇaḥ: Krishna
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sāmbam: Samba
• sāmbam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• aśapat: cursed
• aśapat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śap (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘again’)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrative asserts that the principal queens were not seized due to their own sattva; then shifts to Kṛṣṇa pronouncing another curse upon Sāmba—fate tightening like a knot.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Sāmba
• women (Kṛṣṇa’s queens/consorts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sattva (moral-spiritual strength) functions as a shield, while misdeeds can draw corrective consequences through śāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is implied as the sacred arena where Sāmba’s fate will be resolved through worship and austerity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is detailed yet; the verse transitions toward the account of Sāmba’s expiation.