Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

अंकुलके ब्रह्मगर्भो ब्रह्मवाहे सुतप्रियः । इन्द्रप्रस्थे दुराधर्षश्चंपायां सुरमर्दनः

Transliteration

aṃkulake brahmagarbho brahmavāhe sutapriyaḥ | indraprasthe durādharṣaścaṃpāyāṃ suramardanaḥ

Translation

À Aṃkulaka, on L’appelle Brahmagarbha; à Brahmavāha, Il est Sutapriya, l’Ami de la descendance vertueuse. À Indraprastha, Il est célèbre comme Durādharṣa, l’Inattaquable; et à Campā comme Suramardana, Celui qui broie les puissances adverses. Ainsi les tīrthas proclament Sa force et Sa grâce.

Word by Word

• अंकुलके: in Aṃkulaka
• अंकुलके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंकुलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• ब्रह्मगर्भः: having Brahman as womb/essence (name/epithet)
• ब्रह्मगर्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• ब्रह्मवाहे: in Brahmavāha
• ब्रह्मवाहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• सुतप्रियः: dear to sons/children (name/epithet)
• सुतप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• इन्द्रप्रस्थे: in Indraprastha
• इन्द्रप्रस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• दुराधर्षः: hard to overpower (name/epithet)
• दुराधर्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + आधर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

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

• चंपायाम्: in Campā
• चंपायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चम्पा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• सुरमर्दनः: crusher of gods (name/epithet)
• सुरमर्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + मर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṃkulaka / Brahmavāha / Indraprastha / Campā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four city-shrine vignettes: Aṃkulaka with a womb-like cosmic aura labeled ‘Brahmagarbha’; Brahmavāha with a sacred vehicle/flow motif and families praying for virtuous children; Indraprastha with fortified gates and the deity as ‘Durādharṣa’ radiating invincibility; Campā with the Lord subduing demonic/hostile forces as ‘Suramardana’.

Characters & Entities

• Aṃkulaka
• Brahmagarbha
• Brahmavāha
• Indraprastha
• Durādharṣa
• Campā
• Suramardana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places preserve living remembrance of divine qualities—protection, invincibility, and the power to subdue adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aṃkulaka, Brahmavāha, Indraprastha, and Campā are named as sites where the Lord is worshipped under distinct epithets.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on nāma-smaraṇa and tīrtha-māhātmya through cataloguing holy abodes.