Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

हतभूयेषु दैत्येषु विदार्य धरणीतलम् । पातालं विविशुस्तूर्णं रुधिरेण परिप्लुताः

Transliteration

hatabhūyeṣu daityeṣu vidārya dharaṇītalam | pātālaṃ viviśustūrṇaṃ rudhireṇa pariplutāḥ

Translation

When most of the Daityas had been slain, the survivors—splitting open the surface of the earth—quickly entered Pātāla, drenched in blood.

Word by Word

• हतभूयेषु: when most were slain / among those mostly slain
• हतभूयेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त) + भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (हताः भूयांसः येषु तेषु); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दैत्येषु)

• दैत्येषु: among the demons
• दैत्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• विदार्य: having torn open
• विदार्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + दृ (धातु) → विदार्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• धरणीतलम्: the surface of the earth
• धरणीतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (धरण्याः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पातालम्: the netherworld
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विविशुः: they entered
• विविशुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/वेगवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of speed)

• रुधिरेण: with blood
• रुधिरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• परिप्लुताः: covered/soaked all over
• परिप्लुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + प्लु (धातु) → परिप्लुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wounded daityas, drenched in blood, tear open the earth and plunge into a dark fissure leading to Pātāla; above, the battlefield quiets as devas stand victorious.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma ultimately retreats into darkness; dharma reclaims the visible world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya includes cosmic-scale restoration of order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.