Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

रक्षोहणं वाजिनं वा पूजयेदसुरांतिकम् । इंद्रासोमा च यो मंत्रो ह्यथवा तेन पूजयेत्

Transliteration

rakṣohaṇaṃ vājinaṃ vā pūjayedasurāṃtikam | iṃdrāsomā ca yo maṃtro hyathavā tena pūjayet

Translation

Man soll (ihn) verehren als Bezwinger der Rākṣasas, oder als den schnellen Sieger, oder als Vernichter der Asuras. Oder mit irgendeinem Mantra, das mit «indrā-somā…» beginnt, soll man die Verehrung damit vollziehen.

Word by Word

• रक्षोहणम्: Rakṣas-slayer (epithet)
• रक्षोहणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् + हन् (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular neuter; ‘rakṣas-slayer’

• वाजिनम्: the steed/possessor of strength (Vājin)
• वाजिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular masculine

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• असुरान्तिकम्: Asura-related/Asura-adjacent (epithet)
• असुरान्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुर + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular neuter; ‘near/pertaining to Asuras’ (epithet)

• इन्द्रासोमा: Indra and Soma
• इन्द्रासोमा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + सोम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), द्विवचन; Nominative dual masculine

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (and)

• यः: which/that
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular masculine

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/for)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• तेन: with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Pronoun, instrumental singular

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi assembly (e.g., Śaunaka and sages) / pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest in the Prabhāsa sacred precinct worships a directional peak/seat with flowers and water, invoking protective epithets—‘slayer of rākṣasas/asuras’—while reciting a Vedic mantra beginning ‘indrā-somā’. The atmosphere is coastal, with temple silhouettes and ritual vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Soma
• Rākṣasas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are upheld as zones of protection: worship invokes divine power that subdues inner and outer negativity symbolized by rākṣasas and asuras.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual framework of Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Vedic mantras are applied to sanctify and protect the tīrtha-mandala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā using epithets like ‘rākṣasa-slayer’ and ‘asura-destroyer’, or by reciting an “indrā-somā…” Vedic mantra as the worship formula.