Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ दैत्यावताराणां क्रमो हि कथ्यते पुनः । हिरण्यकशिपू राजा वर्षाणामर्बुदं बभौ

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha daityāvatārāṇāṃ kramo hi kathyate punaḥ | hiraṇyakaśipū rājā varṣāṇāmarbudaṃ babhau

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Nun wird erneut die Abfolge der Erscheinungen der Daityas geschildert. König Hiraṇyakaśipu herrschte eine Arbuda von Jahren.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक — Indeclinable (then/now)

• दैत्यावताराणाम्: of the demon-incarnations
• दैत्यावताराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural; समासः: दैत्यस्य अवतारः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• क्रमः: sequence/order
• क्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात — Indeclinable particle (indeed/for)

• कथ्यते: is being told
• कथ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि प्रयोग, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Passive, 3rd person, Singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb (again)

• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; समासः: हिरण्यस्य कशिपुः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Measure-genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Neuter, Genitive (6th), Plural

• अर्बुदम्: an arbuda (ten million)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular (परिमाण/कालमान)

• बभौ: was/existed (for)
• बभौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as narrator recounts the rise of Hiraṇyakaśipu; a cosmic backdrop with three worlds subtly indicated, emphasizing immense time (arbuda years).

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Daitya
• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic history contrasts long-lived worldly power with the ultimately higher sovereignty of dharma and the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra remains the overarching sacred setting, within whose māhātmya these lineages are narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces a genealogical-historical sequence.