Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अभीर्विशसनं खड्गः प्राणिभूतो दुरासदः । अगम्यो विजयश्चैव धर्माधारस्तथैव च । इत्यष्टौ तव नामानि स्वयमुक्तानि वेधसा

Transliteration

abhīrviśasanaṃ khaḍgaḥ prāṇibhūto durāsadaḥ | agamyo vijayaścaiva dharmādhārastathaiva ca | ityaṣṭau tava nāmāni svayamuktāni vedhasā

Translation

‘অভীর’, ‘বিশসন’, ‘খড়্গ’, ‘প্রাণিভূত’, ‘দুরাসদ’, ‘অগম্য’, ‘বিজয়’ এবং ‘ধর্মাধার’—এগুলি তোমার আট নাম; স্রষ্টা বেধস স্বয়ং প্রাচীনকালে উচ্চারণ করেছেন।

Word by Word

• अभीः: Abhī (Fearlessness)
• अभीः: सम्बोधन/नाम (Appositional name/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a name)

• विशसनम्: Viśasana (Slayer/cutting)
• विशसनम्: सम्बोधन/नाम (Appositional name/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशसन (प्रातिपदिक; वि+√शस्/शंस्? नामधातु-निर्मित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• खड्गः: the sword
• खड्गः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्राणि-भूतः: become living/animate
• प्राणि-भूतः: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणि (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भू + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्राणिवत् भूतः/प्राणिरूपेण भूतः

• दुरासदः: hard to approach
• दुरासदः: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आसद (प्रातिपदिक; √सद्/आ+√सद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; दुरासद इति (hard to approach)

• अगम्यः: inaccessible
• अगम्यः: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम् + यत्, नञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक कर्तव्य/शक्यार्थक (inaccessible)

• विजयः: Vijaya (Victory)
• विजयः: सम्बोधन/नाम (Appositional name/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/only)

• धर्म-आधारः: Dharmādhāra (Support of dharma)
• धर्म-आधारः: सम्बोधन/नाम (Appositional name/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; धर्मस्य आधारः इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative/end marker)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नामानि इति सह संख्याविशेषण

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सम्बन्ध

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्वयम्-उक्तानि: spoken by oneself
• स्वयम्-उक्तानि: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; स्वयम् इति अव्ययेन सह (self-spoken)

• वेधसा: by Vedhas (Brahmā)
• वेधसा: कर्ता/करण (Agent/Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ब्रह्मा (Vedhas)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated sword stands upright like a deity; around it, priests chant the eight epithets as if invoking a living guardian; the atmosphere is charged, with protective circles and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Khaḍga
• Vedhas (Brahmā)
• Dharma
• Vijaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power (the sword) is sanctified as a servant of Dharma—meant for protection, righteous victory, and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, situating the mantra-names within Prabhāsa’s sacred authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/recognition of the sword’s eight sacred names as part of khaḍga-mantra worship.