Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

हिरण्यकशिपोर्दैत्यैः श्लोकोगीतः पुरातनैः

Transliteration

hiraṇyakaśipordaityaiḥ ślokogītaḥ purātanaiḥ

Translation

Au sujet d’Hiraṇyakaśipu, les Daitya d’autrefois chantèrent un śloka ancien, transmis par la tradition, en guise d’éloge.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यकशिपोः: of Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दैत्यैः: by the Daityas
• दैत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• श्लोकः: a verse
• श्लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गीतः: was sung/recited
• गीतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु) → गीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्लोकः’ इति विशेषणम्/विधेयम् (sung/recited)

• पुरातनैः: ancient/old
• पुरातनैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘दैत्यैः’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A daitya assembly sings an ancient panegyric to Hiraṇyakaśipu—rows of formidable beings chanting in unison, banners and drums, with a shadow of impending divine reversal.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives show how communities glorify their leaders—often foreshadowing the moral testing of such pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the textual frame; this line introduces a praise-verse within that sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition introducing a quoted hymn/verse.