Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्निपात्यमाने तु सैन्ये दानवसत्तमः । क्रोधं कृत्वा ततः शीघ्रं तामेवाभिमुखो ययौ

Transliteration

tasminnipātyamāne tu sainye dānavasattamaḥ | krodhaṃ kṛtvā tataḥ śīghraṃ tāmevābhimukho yayau

Translation

As that army was being struck down, the foremost of the Dānavas, inflamed with wrath, swiftly advanced straight toward her.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: when/while that (was happening)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• निपात्यमाने: being felled/struck down
• निपात्यमाने: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+पत् (धातु; causative sense in passive)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सैन्ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• सैन्ये: in/with the army
• सैन्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• दानवसत्तमः: the best of the Dānavas
• दानवसत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानवसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक: दानव + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/assuming
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; from there/then)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• अभिमुखः: facing toward
• अभिमुखः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (दानवसत्तमः)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener addressed as devēśi (queen of gods)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The dānava-chief, seeing his forces destroyed, burns with rage and charges straight at the radiant Goddess/maiden. The composition tightens from mass battle to focused confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dānava (Mahīṣāsura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego and rage drive adharma to confront the divine directly—yet such confrontation only hastens its downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the narrative frames the kṣetra as protected by Devī’s presence and victory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the martial account leading to the asura’s defeat.