Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विवृद्ध्य मूषिका रथ्यावितुन्नमणिकास्तथा । केशान्ददंशुः सुप्तानां नृणां युवतयो निशि

Transliteration

vivṛddhya mūṣikā rathyāvitunnamaṇikāstathā | keśāndadaṃśuḥ suptānāṃ nṛṇāṃ yuvatayo niśi

Translation

Les rats se multiplièrent grandement, et les nuisibles nommés rathyāvitunnamaṇikā se répandirent aussi. La nuit, de jeunes femmes mordaient les cheveux des hommes endormis.

Word by Word

• विवृद्ध्य: having increased
• विवृद्ध्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + वृध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग; धातु: वृध्, उपसर्ग: वि; अर्थ: ‘वृद्धिं गत्वा/वर्धित्वा’

• मूषिकाः: mice, rats
• मूषिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• रथ्या: of the street, street-dwelling
• रथ्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मणिकाः इति)

• वितुन्नमणिकाः: gnawing/biting little beads (i.e., small objects)
• वितुन्नमणिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + तुद् (धातु) + मणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समास: वितुन्नाः (वि+तुद्, क्त-प्रत्यय, ‘pierced/gnawed’) + मणिकाः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकार: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• केशान्: hair
• केशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ददंशुः: bit
• ददंशुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: दंश्

• सुप्तानाम्: of sleeping (men)
• सुप्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) from स्वप्; विशेषणम् (नृणाम्)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• युवतयः: young women
• युवतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; traditionally Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lanes teem with multiplying rats and pests; at night an unsettling inversion of conduct occurs—young women biting the hair of sleeping men—signaling a breakdown of normalcy and dharma.

Characters & Entities

• mūṣika (rat)
• nara (men)
• yuvatī (young women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa depicts adharma’s approach through unnatural disturbances in society and nature, urging vigilance, purification, and renewed dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the background sacred geography; the māhātmya uses local narrative to teach universal dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse catalogs ominous, abnormal occurrences.