Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तमोभूते ततस्तत्र देवी दैत्यं तदा रुरुम् । शक्त्या बिभेद हृदये ततो मूर्छां जगाम ह

Transliteration

tamobhūte tatastatra devī daityaṃ tadā rurum | śaktyā bibheda hṛdaye tato mūrchāṃ jagāma ha

Translation

Quand les ténèbres se répandirent en ce lieu, la Déesse frappa alors le daitya Ruru au cœur de sa śakti (lance). Il tomba aussitôt en défaillance.

Word by Word

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Adhikaraṇa (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सप्तमी-समासपूर्वपद; 'darkness'

• भूते: when it had become
• भूते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम (then)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (there)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दैत्यम्: the demon
• दैत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then/at that time)

• रुरुम्: Ruru
• रुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दैत्यस्य विशेषण-नाम

• शक्त्या: with a spear/power
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• बिभेद: pierced/split
• बिभेद: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिणाम/क्रम (thereupon)

• मूर्छाम्: fainting
• मूर्छाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जगाम: went/entered
• जगाम: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पदपूरण/अनुस्मारक (indeed/just)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa speaking to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied Devī-centered audience; prior address 'Deveśi' continues the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A field swallowed by darkness; at its center the Goddess thrusts a gleaming spear (śakti) into Ruru’s chest; the demon’s eyes roll as he collapses into faint; the spear’s light cuts the gloom.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Ruru
• Śakti (weapon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when darkness arises, divine power (śakti) decisively restores dharma by striking at the very ‘heart’ of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Goddess’s protective intervention is narrated as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a heroic māhātmya episode rather than a vrata instruction.