Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

तपोनुरूपानासाद्य वरांस्ते पापकारिणः । विष्णुना यन्निहन्यते तच्च देवि निबोध मे

Transliteration

taponurūpānāsādya varāṃste pāpakāriṇaḥ | viṣṇunā yannihanyate tacca devi nibodha me

Translation

Ces pécheurs obtiennent des faveurs proportionnelles à leurs austérités ; pourtant, ce qui est ensuite tué par Viṣṇu — ô Devī — comprends-le de ma part.

Word by Word

• तपः: of austerity
• तपः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• अनुरूपान्: suitable, corresponding
• अनुरूपान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural; विशेषण

• आसाद्य: having attained
• आसाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव — having obtained/attained

• वरान्: boons
• वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular (your)

• पापकारिणः: evil-doers
• पापकारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — relative pronoun; correlates with तत्

• निहन्यते: is killed
• निहन्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — is slain

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — address

• निबोध: understand
• निबोध: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — understand/know

• मे: from me / to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive/dative enclitic (of me/to me)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva explains to Devī: on one side, a fierce ascetic receiving a boon; on the other, Viṣṇu in avatāra form slaying the now-dangerous being—both actions framed within a single divine governance.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity can yield results, but divine governance remains: the Lord protects the worlds by removing destructive forces, and this works through the unity of divine powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse discusses tapas (austerity) and the granting of boons.