Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

फेत्कारारावमात्रेण त्रास यंत्यश्चराचरम् । अन्वगात्सा रुरुर्यत्र ताभिः सार्द्धं यशस्विनी

Transliteration

phetkārārāvamātreṇa trāsa yaṃtyaścarācaram | anvagātsā rururyatra tābhiḥ sārddhaṃ yaśasvinī

Translation

Schon durch das Dröhnen ihrer wilden Rufe versetzten sie alles Bewegliche und Unbewegliche in Schrecken. Jene Ruhmreiche zog mit ihnen dorthin, wo Ruru sich befand.

Word by Word

• फेत्कार: hissing sound
• फेत्कार: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासपूर्वपद (आधार), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (phetkāra = hissing/whistling sound)

• आराव: roar
• आराव: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (ārāva = roar/cry)

• मात्रेण: by mere (sound) alone
• मात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; 'मात्रेण' = by mere measure/only

• त्रास: fear/terror
• त्रास: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• यन्ति: they cause
• यन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense implied by context (to cause)

• अश्चराचरम्: all beings, moving and unmoving
• अश्चराचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चराचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (चर + अचर) = moving and unmoving beings

• अन्वगात्: followed
• अन्वगात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुरुः: Ruru (the demon)
• रुरुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेष्य (proper name)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• ताभिः: with them
• ताभिः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with/together)

• यशस्विनी: the illustrious (lady)
• यशस्विनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of सा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maidens unleash a terrifying roar that makes the whole world tremble; the illustrious Goddess advances with them toward Ruru’s stronghold.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kanyakās
• Ruru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection is proactive: śakti does not merely console—it moves toward the source of harm to restore dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose sacred frame the approach to confront Ruru is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights the power of sacred sound and the devī’s mobilization.