Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एवंविधं प्रदेशं तु दृष्ट्वा दैत्या महाबलाः । समुद्रमध्यादायाता यज्ञविध्वंसहेतवे

Transliteration

evaṃvidhaṃ pradeśaṃ tu dṛṣṭvā daityā mahābalāḥ | samudramadhyādāyātā yajñavidhvaṃsahetave

Translation

Al ver tal lugar, poderosos Daityas surgieron de en medio del océano, con la intención de provocar la destrucción del sacrificio.

Word by Word

• एवंविधम्: such (of this kind)
• एवंविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (एवं + विध = ‘such’)

• प्रदेशम्: region, place
• प्रदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• दैत्या: the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• महाबलाः: greatly powerful
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महद् बलं येषां ते)

• समुद्रमध्यात्: from the middle of the ocean
• समुद्रमध्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य मध्यात्)

• आयाताः: came, arrived
• आयाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (arrived/come)

• यज्ञविध्वंसहेतवे: for the purpose of destroying the sacrifice
• यज्ञविध्वंसहेतवे: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + विध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य विध्वंसस्य हेतुः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a Devī: 'varānane' indicates the listener is the Goddess (Pārvatī/Devī) in the immediate dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa’s shore, the sacrificial ground is set; from the mid-ocean, mighty Daityas rise and surge toward the yajña to destroy it, waves parting behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Yajña
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma—especially yajña—often faces obstruction; the Purāṇic narrative frames such trials as occasions for divine protection and reaffirmation of sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacrificial precinct, significant enough that hostile forces emerge even from the ocean to oppose it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; the verse introduces an impending disruption of the yajña, setting the stage for protective or corrective action.