Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तारकेण यदा ध्वस्तास्त्रिदशाः संगरे स्थिताः । त्रैलोक्यं विहृतं सर्वं स्वयमिन्द्रत्वमागतः

Transliteration

tārakeṇa yadā dhvastāstridaśāḥ saṃgare sthitāḥ | trailokyaṃ vihṛtaṃ sarvaṃ svayamindratvamāgataḥ

Translation

Lorsque, dans la bataille, Tāraka écrasa les Trente-Trois dieux et que l’ensemble des trois mondes fut ravagé, il s’empara lui-même de la souveraineté d’Indra.

Word by Word

• तारकेण: by Tāraka
• तारकेण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/हेतु), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/समय) — temporal adverb/conjunction

• ध्वस्ताः: destroyed
• ध्वस्ताः: Karta (as predicate to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्वंस् (धातु) → ध्वस्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रिदशाः: the gods (thirty-three)
• त्रिदशाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संगरे: in battle
• संगरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• स्थिताः: standing / positioned
• स्थिताः: Karta (as predicate to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रयाणां लोकानाम्)

• विहृतम्: taken away / seized
• विहृतम्: Karma (as predicate to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + हृ (धातु) → विहृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय — indeclinable (emphatic: ‘himself’)

• इन्द्रत्वम्: the status of Indra
• इन्द्रत्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आगतः: attained / came to
• आगतः: Karta (Predicate; implied subject: Tāraka)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Battlefield panorama: devas scattered and wounded; Tāraka triumphant; the three worlds shown as dimmed—sun veiled, cities aflame; a throne of Indra seized by the asura.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Tridaśas (Devas)
• Trailokya
• Indra (as office/sovereignty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order can be eclipsed by adharma, prompting recourse to Śiva and sacred acts that restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supplies narrative context for the Prabhāsa-kṣetra liṅga’s greatness rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a historical-mythic setup describing the devas’ defeat.