Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

मुहूर्त्ताल्लब्धसंज्ञोऽथ ज्ञात्वा तस्याः पराक्रमम् । पलायनकृतोत्साहः समुद्राभिमुखो ययौ

Transliteration

muhūrttāllabdhasaṃjño'tha jñātvā tasyāḥ parākramam | palāyanakṛtotsāhaḥ samudrābhimukho yayau

Translation

Nach kurzer Weile kam er wieder zu sich; als er ihre Macht erkannte, fasste er den Entschluss zu fliehen und ging dem Meer entgegen.

Word by Word

• मुहूर्तात्: from/after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: अपादान (Ablative/Source-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अवधी/काल-निर्देशः (time-limit)

• लब्धसंज्ञः: having regained consciousness
• लब्धसंज्ञः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (√लभ् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लब्धा संज्ञा यस्य)

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बोधक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (then/thereupon)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having known)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पराक्रमम्: valor, prowess
• पराक्रमम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पलायनकृतोत्साहः: resolved to flee
• पलायनकृतोत्साहः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (√कृ धातु, क्त; कृदन्त) + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पलायने कृतः उत्साहः यस्य)

• समुद्राभिमुखः: facing toward the ocean
• समुद्राभिमुखः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रं अभिमुखः)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa speaking to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (sāgara-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ruru, wounded and shaken, regains consciousness and staggers toward the ocean, glancing back in fear; the coastline opens ahead with waves and spray, suggesting imminent escape or doom.

Characters & Entities

• Ruru
• Devī
• Samudra (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma ultimately retreats when confronted with true divine strength; arrogance collapses into fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa and its coastal setting, highlighted by the demon’s flight toward the sea within the kṣetra’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse advances the māhātmya storyline and the geography (sea-facing Prabhāsa).