Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । इल्वलो नाम दैत्येन्द्र आसीद्वै वरवर्णिनि । मणिमत्यां पुरा पुर्यां वातापिस्तस्य चानुजः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | ilvalo nāma daityendra āsīdvai varavarṇini | maṇimatyāṃ purā puryāṃ vātāpistasya cānujaḥ

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „O Schöne, einst gab es in der Stadt Maṇimatī einen Fürsten der Daityas namens Ilvala; und Vātāpi war sein jüngerer Bruder.“

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• इल्वलः: Ilvala
• इल्वलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इल्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (नाम-निर्देशे, ‘by name’)

• दैत्येन्द्रः: lord of demons
• दैत्येन्द्रः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा वर्णिनी यस्या:)

• मणिमत्याम्: in Maṇimatī
• मणिमत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पुर्याम्: in the city
• पुर्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वातापिः: Vātāpi
• वातापिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वातापि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him (Ilvala)
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• अनुजः: younger brother
• अनुजः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual frame; not yet in this verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (implied by vocative varavarṇinī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as narrator addresses a goddess/consort; in the background, a fortified asura-city Maṇimatī with Ilvala enthroned and Vātāpi beside him, hinting at impending conflict with brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Ilvala
• Vātāpi
• Maṇimatī (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māhātmya teaching often unfolds through sacred history: naming the forces opposed to dharma before describing their defeat.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The legend is told to explain the sanctity of Agastya’s āśrama region in Prabhāsa kṣetra, though this verse names Maṇimatī as the demons’ city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it begins the narrative background for the tīrtha’s māhātmya.