Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

किमिंद्रेणाल्पवीर्येण किमन्यैश्च वरानने । सहस्राक्षो न मे तुल्यो न मे तुल्याः सुरासुराः

Transliteration

kimiṃdreṇālpavīryeṇa kimanyaiśca varānane | sahasrākṣo na me tulyo na me tulyāḥ surāsurāḥ

Translation

“O fair-faced one, what need have I of Indra of little prowess, or of any others? The thousand-eyed Indra is not my equal; nor are any gods or demons my equals.”

Word by Word

• kim: what (use/need)?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• indreṇa: with Indra
• indreṇa: Karana (करण/Instrument; 'with/by Indra')
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• alpa-vīryeṇa: of little power
• alpa-vīryeṇa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying indreṇa)

• kim: what (use)?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• anyaiḥ: with others
• anyaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• varānane: O lovely-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sahasrākṣaḥ: Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• sahasrākṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः (one who has a thousand eyes)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• me: to me / of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• tulyaḥ: equal
• tulyaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (predicate)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (निषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• me: to me / of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• tulyāḥ: equal
• tulyāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (predicate)

• sura-asurāḥ: gods and demons
• sura-asurāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Bāṣkali

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor not explicit in this verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya dismisses Indra and all gods/demons as unequal to him, addressing a ‘fair-faced’ lady; close-up of proud proclamation, eyes blazing, hand gestures of disdain.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṣkali
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Śrīmātā (addressed as varānane)
• Suras
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride that dismisses the devas and cosmic order is portrayed as a hallmark of adharma and a prelude to divine retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Arbuda sacred region is the setting, centering on Śrīmātā’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is mentioned; it is a boastful declaration within the narrative.