Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

शुंभोनाम महादैत्यः पुराऽसीत्पृथिवीतले । तेन सर्वं जगद्व्याप्तं जित्वा देवान्रणाजिरे

Transliteration

śuṃbhonāma mahādaityaḥ purā'sītpṛthivītale | tena sarvaṃ jagadvyāptaṃ jitvā devānraṇājire

Translation

Einstmals gab es auf Erden einen großen Asura namens Śumbha. Nachdem er die Götter auf dem Schlachtfeld besiegt hatte, durchdrang er die Welt mit seiner Macht und beherrschte sie ganz.

Word by Word

• शुंभः: Śumbha
• शुंभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Noun-modifier (Upapada/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशक (particle: by name/indeed called)

• महादैत्यः: a great demon
• महादैत्यः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: formerly/once)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पृथिवीतले: on the surface of the earth
• पृथिवीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: पृथिव्याः तलम्

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded/occupied
• व्याप्तम्: Karma-predicative (Karmani-viśeṣaṇa/कर्मणि विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: pervaded)

• जित्वा: having conquered
• जित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having conquered

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रणाजिरे: on the battlefield
• रणाजिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: रणस्य अजिरम् (battlefield)

Speaker

Pulastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śumbha, a towering asura-king, stands victorious on a battlefield strewn with broken divine banners; the world appears shadowed under his rule, foreshadowing Devī’s advent.

Characters & Entities

• Śumbha
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Asuric power disrupts cosmic order; the Purāṇas frame Devī’s intervention as restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative prepares the glorification of Kātyāyanī’s cave abode associated with Śumbha’s destruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the historical-mythic context for the shrine’s greatness.