Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततो हाहाकृते लोके काशिनाथो महाबली । युयुधे वासुदेवेन मित्रदुःखेन दुःखितः

Transliteration

tato hāhākṛte loke kāśinātho mahābalī | yuyudhe vāsudevena mitraduḥkhena duḥkhitaḥ

Translation

Then, as the world cried out in alarm, the mighty lord of Kāśī fought with Vāsudeva, grieved at the sorrow of his ally.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• हाहाकृते: in the world filled with cries of ‘hāhā’
• हाहाकृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāhā (अव्यय-ध्वन्यात्मक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (हाहा-शब्देन कृतः); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘लोके’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• काशिनाथः: lord of Kāśī
• काशिनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (काश्याः नाथः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महाबली: very mighty
• महाबली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् बली); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• युयुधे: fought
• युयुधे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• वासुदेवेन: with Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवेन: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मित्रदुःखेन: because of a friend’s sorrow
• मित्रदुःखेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (मित्रस्य दुःखम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ (cause)

• दुःखितः: grieved
• दुःखितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √duḥkh)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP/भावे), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (invoked) within Prabhāsa narrative frame

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The world erupts in cries; the powerful lord of Kāśī, burning with grief for his ally, engages Vāsudeva in battle amid panic and dust.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśinātha (Kāśirāja)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly loyalties can propel one into conflict; dharma requires discernment about whom one supports.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly named, while the chapter remains situated within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the onset of battle and the emotional motive of the king.