Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततो भारभराकान्ता धरणी तलपीडिता । अतीवभयसंत्रस्ताः सदेवासुरमानुषाः

Transliteration

tato bhārabharākāntā dharaṇī talapīḍitā | atīvabhayasaṃtrastāḥ sadevāsuramānuṣāḥ

Translation

Alors la Terre, écrasée et meurtrie sous les piétinements de Tala, fut accablée par le fardeau; et dieux, asuras et humains furent saisis d’une peur extrême.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), काल/अनुक्रमसूचक अव्यय (temporal/sequential adverb): "thereupon/then"

• bhāra-bhara-ākāntā: oppressed by heavy burdens
• bhāra-bhara-ākāntā: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhara (प्रातिपदिक) + ākānta (कृदन्त; √kam/कान्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle sense "oppressed/afflicted")
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) धरणी-शब्दस्य; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भारभरैः आकान्ता = burdened by loads)

• dharaṇī: the Earth
• dharaṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tala-pīḍitā: pressed by the sole (of the foot)
• tala-pīḍitā: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tala (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍita (कृदन्त; √pīḍ/पीड्, क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्तान्त कृदन्त (PPP) विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तलेन पीडिता = pressed by the sole/foot)

• atīva: exceedingly
• atīva: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तीव्रतासूचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifying adverb)

• bhaya-saṃtrastāḥ: terrified with fear
• bhaya-saṃtrastāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtrasta (कृदन्त; √tras/त्रस् with सम्-, क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्तान्त कृदन्त विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भयेन संत्रस्ताः = frightened by fear)

• sa-deva-asura-mānuṣāḥ: gods, demons, and humans (all together)
• sa-deva-asura-mānuṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (देवाः च असुराः च मानुषाः च) सह-पूर्वपदेन (including)

Speaker

Narrator (exact speaker not present in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Female addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Earth-goddess appears weighed down as Talo’s stamping crushes the ground; devas, asuras, and humans recoil in terror, hands raised, faces strained.

Characters & Entities

• Talo
• Devas
• Asuras
• Humans
• Earth (Dharaṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as a cosmic equilibrium: when violated, suffering spreads across all realms, compelling the righteous to seek divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose māhātmya emphasizes that even amid universal fear, sacred space remains under divine oversight.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is stated in this verse.