Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गणैरंतर्धानगतैः प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृताः । लेखको रोहकश्चैव सूचकः शीघ्रगस्तथा

Transliteration

gaṇairaṃtardhānagataiḥ prahārairjarjarīkṛtāḥ | lekhako rohakaścaiva sūcakaḥ śīghragastathā

Translation

«Nous sommes battus et brisés par les coups des gaṇa qui se meuvent invisibles. Parmi nous se trouvent Lekhaka, Rohaka, ainsi que Sūcaka, et aussi Śīghraga.»

Word by Word

• gaṇaiḥ: by groups/attendants
• gaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• antardhāna-gataiḥ: who had gone into invisibility/hidden
• antardhāna-gataiḥ: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antardhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘अन्तर्धाने गत’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः

• prahāraiḥ: by blows/strikes
• prahāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• jarjarīkṛtāḥ: were battered/crushed
• jarjarīkṛtāḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jarjarī-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• lekhakaḥ: Lekhaka (name)
• lekhakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lekhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rohakaḥ: Rohaka (name)
• rohakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rohaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• sūcakaḥ: Sūcaka (name)
• sūcakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śīghragaḥ: Śīghraga (name; fast-goer)
• śīghragaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शीघ्रः गः’ (fast-goer) कर्मधारय

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/so)

Speaker

Pretas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame) / within episode: Gautama hearing pretas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of tormented pretas, emaciated and dust-covered, recoil as unseen Śiva-gaṇas strike them; the seashore of Prabhāsa with a distant temple silhouette and stormy sky frames their lament.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Pretas
• Lekhaka
• Rohaka
• Sūcaka
• Śīghraga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are protected by divine order; unseen guardianship symbolizes that purity and reverence govern access to sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The guarded tīrtha associated with Preta-tīrtha/Gātra-vimocana in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse indicates restricted entry enforced by gaṇas, implying the need for proper purification or divine sanction.