Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

प्रसार्य वक्त्रं सहसा उदरस्थं चकार ह । तस्मिंश्चक्रे तदा ग्रस्ते अमोघे पर्वतात्मजे

Transliteration

prasārya vaktraṃ sahasā udarasthaṃ cakāra ha | tasmiṃścakre tadā graste amoghe parvatātmaje

Translation

Suddenly he stretched his mouth wide and made the discus lodge within his belly. When that unfailing weapon was thus swallowed by the mountain-born one,

Word by Word

• प्रसार्य: having stretched/opened
• प्रसार्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√सृ (धातु) → प्रसार्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having stretched/opened’

• वक्त्रम्: mouth, face
• वक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: suddenly/forcibly)

• उदरस्थम्: placed in the belly
• उदरस्थम्: Karma (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उदरे स्थितम् (situated in the belly)

• चकार: made, caused
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चक्रे: in the discus
• चक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• ग्रस्ते: when swallowed
• ग्रस्ते: Saptamī-absolute (locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु) → ग्रस्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘when (it was) swallowed’ (locative absolute with चक्रे)

• अमोघे: unfailing
• अमोघे: Adhikarana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to चक्रे)

• पर्वतात्मजे: in/with the mountain-born one
• पर्वतात्मजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण) / Saptamī-absolute participant
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पर्वतस्य आत्मजः (son of the mountain)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mountain-born being (pārvatātmāja) suddenly gapes wide, swallowing the blazing Sudarśana into his belly; the wheel’s flames illuminate the throat and abdomen like a furnace.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sudarśana Cakra
• Parvatātmaja (mountain-born figure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Lord’s unfailing power can be met by extraordinary opposition, heightening the revelation of the Lord’s ultimate supremacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where such wondrous episodes are narrated to magnify the kṣetra’s sacred fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a dramatic narrative turn within the battle.