Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्याश्च पार्श्वगा अन्यास्तासां नामानि मे शृणु । सख्यो ब्राह्मणराक्षस्यस्तासां चैव सुदर्शनाः

Transliteration

tasyāśca pārśvagā anyāstāsāṃ nāmāni me śṛṇu | sakhyo brāhmaṇarākṣasyastāsāṃ caiva sudarśanāḥ

Translation

À ses côtés se tenaient aussi d’autres femmes—écoute de ma bouche leurs noms. Elles étaient ses compagnes, des brāhmaṇa-rākṣasīs, et elles aussi avaient une beauté saisissante.

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• पार्श्वगाः: standing at (her) side; attendants
• पार्श्वगाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्व-ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘अन्याः’ इत्यस्य

• अन्याः: others (female ones)
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मपदत्वे द्वितीया

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी—‘मम/मह्यम्’ अर्थे

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सख्यः: friends (female companions)
• सख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणराक्षस्यः: brahmin-demonesses (brahmarākṣasīs)
• ब्राह्मणराक्षस्यः: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मण’ इति विशेषणपूर्वपदेन राक्षसी-जातिः

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुदर्शनाः: beautiful to behold
• सुदर्शनाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘सख्यः/ब्राह्मणराक्षस्यः’ इत्यस्य

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A questioning interlocutor (traditionally a sage/assembly within the māhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A central formidable yet beautiful rākṣasī-figure stands in Prabhāsa’s sacred landscape, flanked by striking companion women; the narrator gestures as if listing their names, while the listener watches with wary attention.

Characters & Entities

• Śivā (fierce female attendant/manifestation)
• brāhmaṇa-rākṣasīs (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic texts map the cosmos through named beings and retinues, showing that divine order includes many classes of powers and attendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching sacred setting; this verse transitions into naming associated beings within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a forthcoming list of names and companions.