Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शृंगाभ्यां जगृहे देवीं सा तस्योपरि संस्थिता । पद्भ्यामाक्रम्य शूलेन निहतो दैत्यपुंगवः

Transliteration

śṛṃgābhyāṃ jagṛhe devīṃ sā tasyopari saṃsthitā | padbhyāmākramya śūlena nihato daityapuṃgavaḥ

Translation

Er packte die Göttin mit seinen beiden Hörnern; doch sie stand auf ihm und, ihn mit den Füßen niederstampfend, erschlug sie mit ihrem Speer jenen Stier, den Anführer der Daityas.

Word by Word

• शृङ्गाभ्याम्: with (his) two horns
• शृङ्गाभ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd, Instrumental), द्विवचन

• जगृहे: seized
• जगृहे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• उपरि: upon, on top of
• उपरि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश (adverb/postposition)

• संस्थिता: stood/was positioned
• संस्थिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पद्भ्याम्: with (her) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• आक्रम्य: having trampled/stepped upon
• आक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दैत्यपुंगवः: the chief of the demons
• दैत्यपुंगवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दैत्यानां पुंगवः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener addressed as devēśi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The horned asura seizes the Goddess with his horns; she rises onto him, stands upon his body, and with her feet trampling him, pierces and kills him with a spear (śūla). The moment is frozen at the instant of the fatal strike—radiance over darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahīṣāsura
• Śūla (spear/trident weapon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power subdues pride by placing it underfoot—dharma prevails through Devī’s decisive, righteous action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose sanctity is celebrated through the account of Devī’s victory within its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the climactic slaying of the asura.