Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तेन देवाः सगन्धर्वास्त्रासितास्त्रिदशा लयात् । तस्य भीत्या ततः सर्वे ब्रह्मलोकमधिस्थिताः

Transliteration

tena devāḥ sagandharvāstrāsitāstridaśā layāt | tasya bhītyā tataḥ sarve brahmalokamadhisthitāḥ

Translation

Durch ihn wurden die Götter samt den Gandharvas von Furcht ergriffen; die dreißig Devas flohen in Panik. Aus Angst vor ihm suchten sie alle darauf Zuflucht in Brahmās Welt.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (instrumental singular: 'by him/thereby')

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• सगन्धर्वाः: together with the Gandharvas
• सगन्धर्वाः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगन्धर्व = स + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सहार्थक-समास (with the Gandharvas)

• त्रासिताः: terrified
• त्रासिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √त्रस् (धातु) → त्रासित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'frightened/terrified'

• त्रिदशाः: the thirty (gods), the devas
• त्रिदशाः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; देवपर्यायः (the thirty gods)

• लयात्: from ruin/dissolution
• लयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (ablative singular: 'from dissolution/ruin')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (genitive singular: 'of him')

• भीत्या: from fear
• भीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular: 'out of fear/through fear')

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'then/from there')

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (all)

• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Brahmaloka
• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मलोक = ब्रह्मन् + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• अधिस्थिताः: having taken refuge in / having reached
• अधिस्थिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधि + √स्था (धातु) → अधिस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'having taken refuge/settled upon'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and Gandharvas, distressed, ascend to radiant Brahmaloka; Brahmā’s golden city appears above clouds; below, the shadow of Ruru looms over the worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Ruru
• devāḥ
• gandharvāḥ
• tridaśa
• Brahmaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma overwhelms even the powerful, refuge is sought in higher divine order—preparing for restoration through sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, this forms the narrative lead-in to the Devī Kumārikā sacred locale within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the cosmic crisis caused by the asura.