Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कालांतरे ततो भित्त्वा कुरुदेशं महाप्रभः । निर्गतोत्तंभितशिरा ज्वलदास्योतिभीषणः

Transliteration

kālāṃtare tato bhittvā kurudeśaṃ mahāprabhaḥ | nirgatottaṃbhitaśirā jvaladāsyotibhīṣaṇaḥ

Translation

কিছু কালের পরে সেই মহাপ্রভু কুরুদেশ বিদীর্ণ করে বেরিয়ে এলেন। তিনি মাথা উঁচু করে ছিলেন, তাঁর মুখ জ্বলন্ত অগ্নিসদৃশ, দর্শনে অতিভয়ংকর।

Word by Word

• काल-अन्तरे: at a later time
• काल-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — neuter, locative singular; अधिकरणे (in/at a time)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमबोधक (then/from there)

• भित्त्वा: having broken through
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — having split/broken

• कुरु-देशम्: the Kuru country
• कुरु-देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — masculine, accusative singular

• महाप्रभः: the great-lustrous one
• महाप्रभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — masculine, nominative singular; बहुव्रीहिः ‘महाप्रभा यस्य सः’

• निर्गत-उत्तम्भित-शिराः: with head raised up, having come out
• निर्गत-उत्तम्भित-शिराः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गत (नि√गम् + क्त) + उत्तम्भित (उद्√स्तम्भ् + क्त) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — masculine, nominative singular; समासे विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः

• ज्वलत्-आस्य-उति-भीषणः: terrifying with blazing-faced radiance
• ज्वलत्-आस्य-उति-भीषणः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलत् (√ज्वल् शतृ) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उति/ओति (प्रातिपदिक; तेजस्/प्रभा-अर्थे) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — masculine, nominative singular; ‘ज्वलदास्य-ओति’ इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासभावः (glowing-faced radiance)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aūrva’s dramatic emergence: the earth of Kuru-land splits; a radiant, terrifying figure rises with head uplifted, mouth blazing like fire—an awe-inspiring epiphany of tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Aaurva (implied)
• Kuru-deśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suppressed injustice can give rise to overwhelming, dangerous force; dharma must restrain anger and restore order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While Kuru-deśa is mentioned, the overarching frame remains Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya within the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the dramatic manifestation that leads to the next teaching about restraint.