Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

करिष्यति समुद्योगमवतारसमुद्भवम् । तस्या हस्तेन सोऽवश्यं वधं प्राप्स्यति दुर्मतिः

Transliteration

kariṣyati samudyogamavatārasamudbhavam | tasyā hastena so'vaśyaṃ vadhaṃ prāpsyati durmatiḥ

Translation

Sie wird das Werk beginnen, das aus Ihrem Herabstieg als Avatāra hervorgeht. Durch Ihre eigene Hand wird jener bös Gesinnte gewiss den Tod finden.

Word by Word

• करिष्यति: will do; will undertake
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• समुद्योगम्: effort; enterprise
• समुद्योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवतारसमुद्भवम्: born of an incarnation
• अवतारसमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'arising from an avatāra'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्या: of her
• तस्या: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हस्तेन: by (her) hand
• हस्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवश्यम्: surely; certainly
• अवश्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वधम्: death; killing
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्स्यति: will obtain; will meet with
• प्राप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• दुर्मतिः: the evil-minded one
• दुर्मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (dur + mati: 'evil-minded'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī’s avatāra emerges—radiant, armed, and unstoppable; the demon’s fate is shown as inevitable, with Devī’s hand raised in a decisive strike, cosmic forces aligning behind her.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (as avatāra)
• Mahīṣa (implied)
• Devas (implied audience)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, the Divine is not merely prayed to in abstraction—Śakti manifests and acts decisively for protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Arbuda remains the implied sacred locus where the Devas’ worship leads to Devi’s avatāra-driven action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse promises the fruit of prior worship—Devi’s direct intervention.