Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा रथंतरे कल्पे रुरुर्नाम महासुरः । उत्पन्नः स महाकायः सर्वलोकभयावहः

Transliteration

purā rathaṃtare kalpe rururnāma mahāsuraḥ | utpannaḥ sa mahākāyaḥ sarvalokabhayāvahaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, dans le kalpa Rathantara, surgit un grand asura nommé Ruru : d’une stature immense, il semait l’effroi dans tous les mondes.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'formerly/once')

• रथंतरे: in (the) Rathantara (kalpa)
• रथंतरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• कल्पे: in the kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• रुरुः: Ruru (named being)
• रुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable particle indicating name: 'by name')

• महासुरः: a great asura
• महासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर = महा + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular); विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (great + asura)

• उत्पन्नः: arisen, born
• उत्पन्नः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + √पद्/√पन् (धातु) → उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'arisen/produced'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun: he)

• महाकायः: huge-bodied
• महाकायः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय = महा + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (having a huge body)

• सर्वलोकभयावहः: bringing fear to all worlds
• सर्वलोकभयावहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वलोकभयावह = सर्व + लोक + भय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः: 'bringing fear to all worlds'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The asura Ruru emerges in a primordial age: colossal body, dark aura, shaking the worlds; devas and gandharvas recoil in fear as the sky reddens.

Characters & Entities

• Rathantara Kalpa
• Ruru
• asura
• Devī Kumārikā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred history frames the need for divine protection: the rise of adharma (asuric terror) sets the stage for the Goddess’s safeguarding presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a backstory within the Devī Kumārikā context of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, preparing the māhātmya of that locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse begins the narrative background.