Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सुरभ्या चाभिषिक्ते तु इन्द्रे च विमदीकृते । रासक्रीडारते देवे दारिते केशिदानवे

Transliteration

surabhyā cābhiṣikte tu indre ca vimadīkṛte | rāsakrīḍārate deve dārite keśidānave

Translation

Als Indra von Surabhī gesalbt wurde und sein Hochmut gebrochen war—als der Herr, am Rāsa-Spiel erfreut, auch den Dämon Keśin zerriss—

Word by Word

• सुरभ्या: by Surabhi (the celestial cow)
• सुरभ्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अभिषिक्ते: when (he) was anointed
• अभिषिक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + सिच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (देवे) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः

• तु: indeed, then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• इन्द्रे: (when) Indra
• इन्द्रे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विमदीकृते: when (he) was humbled (made free of pride)
• विमदीकृते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मद् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘विमदीकृत’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘इन्द्रे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रास-क्रीडा-रते: when the Lord was engaged in the rāsa-dance play
• रास-क्रीडा-रते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रास (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—रासक्रीडा इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भाव्यः (रासस्य क्रीडा), तत्र रतः इति तत्पुरुषः; ‘देवे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवे: when the Lord (was)
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दारिते: when (he) was torn apart
• दारिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (धातु; दारणे)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘दारित’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘दानवे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• केशि-दानवे: (in the case of) the demon Keśī
• केशि-दानवे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशि (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—केशिः स दानवः इति कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic framing; specific speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Govardhana–Vṛndāvana līlā-sthalas (as remembered within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, chastened, stands beside Surabhī as she pours a consecrating stream over Kṛṣṇa (Govinda); in another vignette Kṛṣṇa dances in rāsa with gopīs under moonlight; Keśī the horse-demon is torn apart in a burst of heroic motion.

Characters & Entities

• Surabhī
• Indra
• Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana)
• Keśin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace humbles pride (even Indra’s), and the Lord protects dharma by removing demonic obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as narrative prelude within Dvārakā Māhātmya, preparing the glorification of Dvārakā and the Prabhāsa region rather than naming a single tīrtha here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it recounts events establishing the Lord’s supremacy and dharmic order.