Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आर्यस्य बालपुत्रस्य द्युमत्सेनस्य रुक्मिणा । सामन्तेन हृतं राज्यं छिद्रेऽस्मिन्पूर्ववैरिणा

Transliteration

āryasya bālaputrasya dyumatsenasya rukmiṇā | sāmantena hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ chidre'sminpūrvavairiṇā

Translation

“That noble Dyumatsena, though he had a young son, had his kingdom seized by Rukmin, a feudatory and former enemy, who took advantage of this weakness.”

Word by Word

• आर्यस्य: of the noble one
• आर्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• बालपुत्रस्य: of the young son
• बालपुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (बालः पुत्रः)

• द्युमत्सेनस्य: of Dyumatsena
• द्युमत्सेनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युमत्सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रुक्मिणा: by Rukmī
• रुक्मिणा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सामन्तेन: by the feudatory (chief)
• सामन्तेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हृतम्: was taken away
• हृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृत (कृदन्त; √हृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (passive sense)

• राज्यम्: the kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• छिद्रे: in a weak point, in a breach
• छिद्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this (situation)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूर्ववैरिणा: by a former enemy
• पूर्ववैरिणा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + वैरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पूर्वः वैरी)

Speaker

Sāvitrī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpati) addressed in the surrounding dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dispossessed king Dyumatsena, with a small child, stands in a dim palace court as the feudatory Rukmin seizes the royal insignia; the mood is heavy with betrayal and impending exile.

Characters & Entities

• Dyumatsena
• Rukmin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fragile when vigilance is lost; adversity often comes through those who exploit a moment of weakness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, where moral history supports the sacred narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides the ethical-historical cause leading to forest life and later dharmic exemplars.