Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भगवान्किं वयं कुर्मः कुत्र यामो निराश्रयाः । तस्माद्ब्रूहि क्षयोपायं महिषस्य दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

bhagavānkiṃ vayaṃ kurmaḥ kutra yāmo nirāśrayāḥ | tasmādbrūhi kṣayopāyaṃ mahiṣasya durātmanaḥ

Translation

Oh Venerable, ¿qué debemos hacer? ¿A dónde iremos, desprovistos de refugio? Por lo tanto, dinos el medio para lograr la destrucción del malvado Mahisha.

Word by Word

• भगवान्: O Lord/Venerable one
• भगवान्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (what)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कुर्मः: should we do / do we do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुत्र: where
• कुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

• यामः: do we go
• यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• निराश्रयाः: without refuge
• निराश्रयाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (without refuge/support)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• ब्रूहि: tell (us)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षय-उपायम्: the means to destroy
• क्षय-उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: क्षयस्य उपायः (means of destruction)

• महिषस्य: of the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दुरात्मनः: of the wicked-souled (one)
• दुरात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Devas (addressing Bṛhaspati)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king/sages (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devas, visibly shaken, bow before Bṛhaspati; their hands folded, faces pleading. Bṛhaspati remains steady, embodying wisdom as they ask for the means to destroy the wicked Mahiṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Bṛhaspati
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When overwhelmed, turning to a rightful teacher with humility and a dharmic aim is the beginning of deliverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a supplication seeking a ‘kṣayopāya’ (means of destruction) of the oppressor.