Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भक्षितानि सहस्राणि पंच सप्त च तापसान् । शतानि पंच रैभ्यस्य विश्वामित्रस्य षोडश

Transliteration

bhakṣitāni sahasrāṇi paṃca sapta ca tāpasān | śatāni paṃca raibhyasya viśvāmitrasya ṣoḍaśa

Translation

Ils dévorèrent des milliers d’ascètes — cinq mille, et sept de plus. Ils consumèrent aussi cinq cents disciples de Raibhya, et seize de Viśvāmitra.

Word by Word

• भक्षितानि: eaten/devoured
• भक्षितानि: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन — past passive participle ‘eaten’ (agreeing with सहस्राणि)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Grammatical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Nominative plural (count: thousands)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्त (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तापसान्: ascetics
• तापसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karta (Count/subject-like numeral)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Nominative/Accusative plural (hundreds)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral)

• रैभ्यस्य: of Raibhya
• रैभ्यस्य: Sambandha (Of Raibhya/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैभ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• विश्वामित्रस्य: of Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रस्य: Sambandha (Of Viśvāmitra/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षोडश (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ṛṣi-āśrama cluster)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim aftermath in the hermitage: fallen ascetics near extinguished or scattered ritual implements; the scale of loss is conveyed through rows of bodies and grieving survivors; names of Raibhya and Viśvāmitra lineages are evoked through distinctive sage figures in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Tāpasas
• Raibhya
• Viśvāmitra
• Kālakeyas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When ascetic communities are harmed, the foundations of dharma are shaken—prompting divine and righteous intervention in Purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context, focusing on events affecting ṛṣi-communities in its region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it reports the scale of harm done to tapas-based communities.