Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

षष्टिं चैव सहस्राणि वर्षाणां स हि रावणः । देवतानामृषीणां च घोरं कृत्वा प्रजागरम्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṃ caiva sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ sa hi rāvaṇaḥ | devatānāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca ghoraṃ kṛtvā prajāgaram

Translation

Sechzigtausend Jahre lang hielt Rāvaṇa eine schreckliche Wache, die Götter und ṛṣis in Furcht versetzend.

Word by Word

• षष्टिम्: sixty
• षष्टिम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular) — सहस्राणि इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• देवतानाम्: of the gods
• देवतानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Plural)

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular) — प्रजागरम् इति विशेषणम्

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत्वा (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु), त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive) — पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• प्रजागरम्: a vigil/wakefulness
• प्रजागरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa’s long period of dreadful ‘wakefulness’ (ceaseless aggressive activity) is shown as an era of terror: devas and ṛṣis are kept in fear, unable to rest, as the world feels under siege.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Devatāḥ
• Ṛṣayaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises, even the wise and divine are disturbed; such tyranny ultimately invites divine correction and restoration of order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the textual setting; the verse itself spotlights Rāvaṇa’s deeds rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of conduct and its cosmic impact.