Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वह्निर्भयं समापन्नस्त्यक्त्वा देवगणांस्तदा । दानवेभ्यो हविर्भागं देवेभ्यो न प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

vahnirbhayaṃ samāpannastyaktvā devagaṇāṃstadā | dānavebhyo havirbhāgaṃ devebhyo na prayacchati

Translation

Agni (Vahni), von Furcht ergriffen, verließ damals die Scharen der Götter; den Anteil des havis gab er den Dānavas und überbrachte ihn nicht den Devas.

Word by Word

• वह्निः: Agni (fire)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समापन्नः: having come upon (stricken with)
• समापन्नः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आपद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—प्राप्त/आगत (having fallen into)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातुः—त्यज्; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• देवगणान्: the hosts of gods
• देवगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवगण (प्रातिपदिक; देव+गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानां गणाः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• दानवेभ्यः: to the Dānavas
• दानवेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान

• हविर्भागम्: the share of oblation
• हविर्भागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविर्भाग (प्रातिपदिक; हविस्+भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हविषः भागः)

• देवेभ्यः: to the gods
• देवेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages / king addressed as 'pārthiva-sattama' in nearby verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, trembling with fear, turns away from the deva-assembly; the sacrificial fire leans toward the Dānavas, while the Devas stand deprived and shocked in a dimmed yajña-hall.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Mahiṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear and unrighteous power can corrupt sacred systems; yajña thrives only when upheld by dharma and rightful recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse highlights disruption of sacrificial order, often a prelude to a tīrtha’s restorative glory in the wider narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the yajña ‘havis-bhāga’ (share of oblations), implying the dharmic norm that offerings are to be duly apportioned to the Devas.