Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

स तु तेन प्रहारेण विसंज्ञो निषसाद ह । अथ मुष्ट्या हतः कुम्भे नाग ऐरावणस्तदा

Transliteration

sa tu tena prahāreṇa visaṃjño niṣasāda ha | atha muṣṭyā hataḥ kumbhe nāga airāvaṇastadā

Translation

Durch jenen Schlag sank er bewusstlos zu Boden. Da wurde in diesem Augenblick der Elefant Airāvaṇa an der Schläfe von einer geballten Faust getroffen.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक particle) — but/indeed

• tena: by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• prahāreṇa: by the blow/strike
• prahāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahāra (प्रहार) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्

• visaṃjñaḥ: unconscious
• visaṃjñaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + saṃjñā (संज्ञा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्समः/उपसर्गयुक्तः — ‘deprived of consciousness’

• niṣasāda: sat down/fell down
• niṣasāda: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + sad (सद्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ha: indeed (narrative particle)
• ha: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (ह) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्मरण/वृत्तान्त-प्रदर्शक particle)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग-बोधकः) — then

• muṣṭyā: with a fist
• muṣṭyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṣṭi (मुष्टि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्

• hataḥ: was struck
• hataḥ: Karma (Patient)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (हन्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि — ‘struck/killed’

• kumbhe: on the temple (of the elephant)
• kumbhe: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha (कुम्भ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (location)

• nāgaḥ: the elephant
• nāgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (नाग) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• airāvaṇaḥ: Airāvata
• airāvaṇaḥ: Apposition (Same referent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: airāvaṇa (ऐरावण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेष्य-नाम (proper noun)

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (तदा) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचकः) — at that time

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The elephant reels and collapses senseless; in the same breath Airāvaṇa is struck on the temple by a clenched fist, emphasizing raw, close-quarters ferocity amid the arrow-storm.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty celestial powers can be overwhelmed; refuge in Dharma and the Lord becomes the true support in crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a stage where divine events reveal the kṣetra’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative description within the Prabhāsa Māhātmya.