Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

यत्राधिकृत्य गायत्रीं वर्ण्यते धर्मविस्तरः । वृत्रासुरवधोपेतं तद्भागवतमुच्यते

Transliteration

yatrādhikṛtya gāyatrīṃ varṇyate dharmavistaraḥ | vṛtrāsuravadhopetaṃ tadbhāgavatamucyate

Translation

That scripture which, taking the Gāyatrī as its foundation, sets forth the vast expanse of dharma and includes the slaying of Vṛtrāsura is called the Bhāgavata (Purāṇa).

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/where)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अधिकृत्य: having taken up / with reference to
• अधिकृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभावप्रयोगः; ‘अधिकृत्य’ = having taken as basis/with reference to

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (mantra/metre)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; ‘is described’

• धर्मविस्तरः: the expansion/detail of dharma
• धर्मविस्तरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘धर्मस्य विस्तरः’

• वृत्रासुरवधोपेतम्: endowed with the slaying of Vṛtrāsura (episode)
• वृत्रासुरवधोपेतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of tad-bhāgavatam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्रासुर + वध + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उपेत’ (ppp of उप + √इ) = endowed with; तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘वृत्रासुरवधेन उपेतम्’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतक (demonstrative)

• भागवतम्: the Bhāgavata (text)
• भागवतम्: Karta (Subject/what is called)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; ‘is called’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deduced (Purāṇa identification by hallmark narratives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/ṛṣi audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Gāyatrī as radiant goddess/mantra-light at center; to one side Indra’s battle with Vṛtra; to the other side sages writing/reciting dharma—showing mantra as the axis of dharma and myth.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Dharma
• Vṛtrāsura
• Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is illuminated through sacred mantra-foundations (like Gāyatrī) and exemplified through epic struggles where adharma is overcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya narration, but it primarily defines the Bhāgavata Purāṇa rather than extolling a single location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse identifies a Purāṇa by its thematic basis (Gāyatrī) and a key episode (Vṛtrāsura’s slaying).