Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एका स्त्री बहवो देवा दानवादैत्यराक्षसाः । विवादः सुमहाञ्जातः कथमत्र भविष्यति

Transliteration

ekā strī bahavo devā dānavādaityarākṣasāḥ | vivādaḥ sumahāñjātaḥ kathamatra bhaviṣyati

Translation

Eine einzige Frau — und so viele: Götter, Dānavas, Daityas und Rākṣasas. Ein gewaltiger Streit ist entstanden; wie soll dies hier entschieden werden?

Word by Word

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• स्त्री: woman
• स्त्री: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दानव-दैत्य-राक्षसाः: dānavas, daityas, and rākṣasas
• दानव-दैत्य-राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• विवादः: dispute
• विवादः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सु-महान्: very great
• सु-महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग/अव्यय ‘सु’ सहित कर्मधारयः; ‘सुमहान्’ = ‘very great’

• जातः: has arisen
• जातः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लुङ्-प्रायः क्त-प्रयोगः (परिणामवाचक); ‘जातः’ क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; वाक्ये क्रियापदवत् ‘has arisen’

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

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• भविष्यति: will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √भू

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense tableau: one radiant woman at center; surrounding rings of devas, daityas, dānavas, rākṣasas arguing, hands raised, weapons half-drawn; the air thick with impending clash.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Dānava
• Daitya
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When desire multiplies claimants, dharma requires a fair, orderly process rather than force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, where the Māhātmya frames cosmic drama as a sanctifying backdrop.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets up the need for a dhārmic procedure (svayaṃvara-like choice).