Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

क्व यास्यति वराकी सा मद्बलैः परिपीडिता । शस्त्रास्त्रवर्जितं सैन्यं वनपालपदानुगम्

Transliteration

kva yāsyati varākī sā madbalaiḥ paripīḍitā | śastrāstravarjitaṃ sainyaṃ vanapālapadānugam

Translation

Wohin könnte jene Arme gehen, wenn sie von meinen Kräften hart bedrängt wird? Dieses Heer ist ohne Waffen und Geschosse und zieht unter der Führung des Waldhüters.

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वराकी: poor (helpless) woman
• वराकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे (genitive sense 'my') उपपद-पूर्वपद रूप; समासे पूर्वपद

• बलैः: by forces/troops
• बलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• परिपीडिता: oppressed, harassed
• परिपीडिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• शस्त्र: weapon (hand weapon)
• शस्त्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• अस्त्र: missile weapon
• अस्त्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• वर्जितम्: devoid of, lacking
• वर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; 'सैन्यम्' इति विशेषण

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• वनपाल: forest-guard
• वनपाल: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (forest-guard)

• पद: footstep, track
• पद: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• अनुगम्: following
• अनुगम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (खल्/अ-प्रत्ययान्त, adjectival: 'following'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; 'सैन्यम्' इति विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa; contextual royal speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense chase without weapons: the ‘poor woman’ (implied) is pressed by forces, yet the troop carries no arms and follows a forest-guard’s lead, suggesting controlled pursuit in a sacred forest.

Characters & Entities

• vanapāla (forest-guard)
• bhojarāja (implied in surrounding verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames worldly power as transient and sets up a marvel that will reveal a deeper sacred order governing events in the holy region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, within the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated in this verse; it is narrative groundwork for the māhātmya.