Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

तेषां रक्षानिमित्तं हि गंगा गणपतिस्तथा । यादवानां तु सर्वेषां जीवितो वज्र एव हि

Transliteration

teṣāṃ rakṣānimittaṃ hi gaṃgā gaṇapatistathā | yādavānāṃ tu sarveṣāṃ jīvito vajra eva hi

Translation

Pour leur protection, en vérité, il y avait Gaṅgā et aussi Gaṇapati ; et pour tous les Yādava, la vie et le refuge n’étaient réellement que Vajra seul.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• रक्षा-निमित्तम्: for the purpose of protection
• रक्षा-निमित्तम्: Karya/Hetu (Purpose/Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षायाः निमित्तम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणपतिः: Ganapati
• गणपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• यादवानाम्: of the Yadavas
• यादवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थ (contrast/emphasis)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• जीवितः: (their) life/support of life
• जीवितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वज्रः: Vajra
• वज्रः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (rakṣā-devatā emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective tableau: Gaṅgā as a radiant river-goddess presence, Gaṇapati standing as guardian removing obstacles, and young Vajra depicted as the lone surviving pillar of the Yādavas, framed by Prabhāsa’s shore and temple silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Gaṇapati
• Vajra
• Yādava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of a lineage is framed as divinely ordered—through sacred powers and appointed guardians within Kāla’s design.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with the emerging association to Vajra and the later Vajreśvara-liṅga at Yādava-sthala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse names protective divine forces connected to the sacred locale.