Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

हिणयकशिपोर्दैत्यैः श्लोको गीतः पुरातनः । राजा हिरण्यकशिपुर्यां यामाशां निरीक्षते

Transliteration

hiṇayakaśipordaityaiḥ śloko gītaḥ purātanaḥ | rājā hiraṇyakaśipuryāṃ yāmāśāṃ nirīkṣate

Translation

Die Daityas sangen einen uralten Śloka über Hiraṇyakaśipu: „Welche Richtung auch immer König Hiraṇyakaśipu erblickt…“

Word by Word

• hiraṇyakaśipoḥ: of Hiraṇyakaśipu
• hiraṇyakaśipoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyakaśipu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• daityaiḥ: by the demons (Daityas)
• daityaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• ślokaḥ: a verse
• ślokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• gītaḥ: sung/recited
• gītaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gai (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• purātanaḥ: ancient
• purātanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (ślokaḥ इत्यस्य)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hiraṇyakaśipuḥ: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• hiraṇyakaśipuḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyakaśipu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; rājā इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण

• yām: which
• yām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• yām: watch/part of night (yāma)
• yām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य (आशाम् इत्यस्य)

• āśām: direction
• āśām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• nirīkṣate: looks at, observes
• nirīkṣate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of Daityas in a shadowed hall sing an ‘ancient śloka’ praising/evoking Hiraṇyakaśipu; the king sits enthroned, gaze fixed toward a chosen direction, suggesting dominion and looming hubris.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray how fear-based dominion spreads in all directions under adharma, setting the stage for divine restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is not named in this line; the overarching frame remains Prabhāsakṣetra’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a laud/chant about Hiraṇyakaśipu.