Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । कथं विष्टंभितस्तेन भगवान्पाकशासनः । किमर्थं भार्गवश्चापि कोपं चक्रे महातपाः

Transliteration

devyuvāca | kathaṃ viṣṭaṃbhitastena bhagavānpākaśāsanaḥ | kimarthaṃ bhārgavaścāpi kopaṃ cakre mahātapāḥ

Translation

Die Göttin sprach: „Wie wurde der erhabene Pākaśāsana (Indra) von ihm zurückgehalten? Und aus welchem Grund entbrannte der Bhārgava-Weise, von großer Askese, im Zorn?“

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb: 'how')

• विष्टंभितः: was restrained, immobilized
• विष्टंभितः: Karma (State undergone/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate of 'पाकशासनः'

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• भगवान्: the revered one
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; honorific epithet

• पाकशासनः: Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• पाकशासनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक) + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाकस्य शासनः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; epithet of Indra

• किमर्थम्: why, for what reason
• किमर्थम्: Hetu (Cause queried/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative: 'for what reason/why')

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava
• भार्गवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also)

• कोपम्: anger
• कोपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• चक्रे: made, took up
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective of 'भार्गवः'

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (addressed as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly: the Goddess respectfully questions the Lord about Indra’s restraint and Bhārgava’s anger; sages and devas listen in attentive silence.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• Bhārgava (Cyavana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural dialogue encourages inquiry into dharma—why anger arises and how divine power is limited before tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, the sacred setting of the Māhātmya where this dialogue is situated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a question prompting narration of the sacred history (itihāsa) of the place.