Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

चक्रेण च शिरः कायाच्चिच्छेदाशु बकस्य वै । चूर्णयामास मुशली यज्ञहंतारमेव च

Transliteration

cakreṇa ca śiraḥ kāyāccicchedāśu bakasya vai | cūrṇayāmāsa muśalī yajñahaṃtārameva ca

Translation

Avec le disque, il trancha rapidement la tête de Baka de son corps ; et le porteur de la massue écrasa également le destructeur du sacrifice.

Word by Word

• चक्रेण: with the discus
• चक्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कायात्: from the body
• कायात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• चिच्छेद: cut off
• चिच्छेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• बकस्य: of Baka
• बकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारण/खलु-अर्थ (emphatic particle)

• चूर्णयामास: crushed to powder
• चूर्णयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चूर्णय् (धातु, नामधातु from चूर्ण)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मुशली: the wielder of the pestle (Balarāma)
• मुशली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशलिन्/मुशली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यज्ञहंतारम्: the destroyer of the sacrifice
• यज्ञहंतारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य हन्तारम्)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–udadhi-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rṣi/kingly interlocutor frame typical of māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva in battle: Sudarśana disc arcs like a blazing wheel, severing Baka’s head; the mace (muśala/gadā) crushes a yajña-destroying foe amid fleeing daityas.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Muśalī (Balarāma)
• Yajñahantā (destroyer of sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray the defense of yajña and sacred order as a divine mandate; forces that destroy dharma are ultimately met with divine justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the protected sacred realm where threats to dharma and yajña are neutralized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the verse implicitly upholds yajña (sacrifice) as a protected dharmic institution.