Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा मातुः क्षतान्यंगे त्रिःसप्त मनुजाधिप । शस्त्रजातानि विप्राणां समाजे समुपस्थिते

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā mātuḥ kṣatānyaṃge triḥsapta manujādhipa | śastrajātāni viprāṇāṃ samāje samupasthite

Translation

O Herr der Menschen, als er die Wunden am Leib seiner Mutter sah, fasste er den Entschluss des „dreimal Sieben“; und inmitten der Versammlung der Brāhmaṇas wurden die Waffen zusammengetragen und bereitgestellt.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दृश्; अर्थे: ‘having seen’

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षतानि: wounds
• क्षतानि: Karma (Object of ‘seeing’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from क्षद्/क्षत् ‘to wound’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• अङ्गे: on the body/limb
• अङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• त्रिःसप्त: twenty-one
• त्रिःसप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय) + सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numerical compound), अव्ययपूर्वपद; संख्या-विशेषण; (अर्थः 3×7=21)

• मनुजाधिप: O lord of men (king)
• मनुजाधिप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मनुजानाम् अधिपः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शस्त्रजातानि: collections of weapons
• शस्त्रजातानि: Karma (Object/thing referred)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (शस्त्राणां जातानि/समूहः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• समाजे: in the assembly
• समाजे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• समुपस्थिते: when (it was) present/assembled
• समुपस्थिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘समुपस्थित’ = ‘present/assembled’; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (समाजे समुपस्थिते = locative absolute)

Speaker

Pulastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (manujādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma sees his mother’s wounded body; grief turns to fierce resolve—‘three times seven’. In a brāhmaṇa assembly, weapons are brought forth and arranged, as if sanctified by collective witness.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Renukā (implied mother)
• Brāhmaṇas (vipras)
• Weapons (śastra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Injury to the innocent is presented as a catalyst for a solemn vow, framed within dharmic outrage and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Rāmatīrtha-centered narrative, though it describes the backstory of the vow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references the triḥsapta resolve and the gathering of weapons.