Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सहसा स हतस्तेन वारणो भैरवान्रवान् । विनदञ्जवमास्थाय यज्ञवाटमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

sahasā sa hatastena vāraṇo bhairavānravān | vinadañjavamāsthāya yajñavāṭamupādravat

Translation

Soudain, frappé par lui, l’éléphant poussa des rugissements terrifiants. Trompettant à pleine voix, il prit de la vitesse et se rua vers l’enceinte du sacrifice.

Word by Word

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (सहसा) (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीत्या/आकस्मिकतायाम् adverb) — suddenly

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• hataḥ: was struck
• hataḥ: Karma (Patient)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (हन्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि — struck

• tena: by him/that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• vāraṇaḥ: the elephant
• vāraṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāraṇa (वारण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• bhairavān: terrifying
• bhairavān: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhairava (भैरव) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ravān)

• ravān: cries/roars
• ravān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rava (रव) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्

• vinadan: roaring
• vinadan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + nad (नद्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; ‘roaring’

• javam: speed
• javam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: java (जव) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• āsthāya: having taken up
• āsthāya: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā + sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः अव्ययभावः gerund) — ‘having assumed/taken’

• yajñavāṭam: the sacrificial enclosure
• yajñavāṭam: Karma (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (यज्ञ) (प्रातिपदिक) + vāṭa (वाट) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य वाटः)

• upādravat: ran towards/attacked
• upādravat: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + drav (द्रव्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded elephant erupts into terrifying roars, trumpeting and charging straight toward the yajña-vāṭa; priests and devas recoil as the ritual enclosure faces trampling chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvaṇa
• Yajñavāṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred order (yajña) is threatened by chaos, the narrative prepares for divine intervention to protect Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, with the yajña-setting highlighting its sanctity and ritual centrality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse references the yajña-enclosure as a sacred locus.