Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दशग्रीव महाबाहो अयने चोत्तरे तथा । यात्राकाले तु देवस्य सर्वपापप्रणाशने

Transliteration

daśagrīva mahābāho ayane cottare tathā | yātrākāle tu devasya sarvapāpapraṇāśane

Translation

«Ô Daśagrīva, toi aux bras puissants ! Surtout lors du solstice du nord, et au temps de la yātrā du Seigneur—procession sacrée qui détruit tous les péchés—…»

Word by Word

• दशग्रीव: O Ten-necked one (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः बहुव्रीहिः (दश ग्रीवाः यस्य सः)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः बहुव्रीहिः (महान्तौ बाहू यस्य सः)

• अयने: in the ayana (solstice/course)
• अयने: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (in the course/solstice)

• च: and
• च: Nipata (Conjunction/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• उत्तरे: northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Time-qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अयने)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Nipata (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/also)

• यात्राकाले: at the time of the pilgrimage/festival
• यात्राकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यात्रायाः कालः)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन

• सर्वपापप्रणाशने: in (the rite) that destroys all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशनम्)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (disembodied voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somēśvara at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as 'deveśi' in the surrounding passage) and/or the audience of the māhātmya; the verse itself addresses Daśagrīva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation to Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa) highlighting uttarāyaṇa and the deity’s yātrā-kāla as all-sin-destroying; the sacred coastal kṣetra with a grand procession implied.

Characters & Entities

• Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• Somēśvara
• Aśarīriṇī Vāk

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred timings (kāla) amplify sacred places (kṣetra); aligning devotion with auspicious seasons and festivals increases spiritual purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra’s Somēśvara, particularly during the deity’s yātrā/festival time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in the Lord’s yātrā (festival/pilgrimage observance), especially around uttarāyaṇa.