Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

निघ्नंतमिव शार्दूलं सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम् । मह्यामालिख्य नामानि विनिघ्नंतं द्विषां गणम्

Transliteration

nighnaṃtamiva śārdūlaṃ sarvopadravanāśanam | mahyāmālikhya nāmāni vinighnaṃtaṃ dviṣāṃ gaṇam

Translation

Tel un tigre terrassant ses adversaires, il paraissait le destructeur de tous les fléaux—écrivant des noms sur le sol et, par là, écrasant la troupe des ennemis.

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तम्: striking down, slaying
• निघ्नन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु) → निघ्नत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; describes the seen person)

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle: “as if/like”)

• शार्दूलम्: tiger
• शार्दूलम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; upamāna)

• सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम्: destroyer of all calamities
• सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextually agrees with accusative singular of the person); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषाम् उपद्रवानाम् नाशनम्)

• मह्याम्: on the ground/earth
• मह्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• आलिख्य: having written/drawn
• आलिख्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal form)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• विनिघ्नन्तम्: striking down completely
• विनिघ्नन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + हन् (धातु) → विनिघ्नत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• द्विषाम्: of enemies
• द्विषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विष् (धातु) → द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; शत्रु-वाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• गणम्: group, host
• गणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure crouches like a tiger, inscribing names on the earth with a finger or stylus; as each name is written, shadowy enemy-forms collapse, while a protective aura spreads across the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Ajāpāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic power can be protective and calamity-destroying, expressed through disciplined, vow-backed sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya framework; the verse highlights protective potency within that sacred context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective act is implied: writing names on the ground as part of a kṛtya/mantra-like procedure to subdue enemies.