Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

इदं चतुर्गुणं प्राप्य द्वापरे विष्णुना सह । महिषस्य वधार्थाय उत्पन्ना कृष्णपिंगला

Transliteration

idaṃ caturguṇaṃ prāpya dvāpare viṣṇunā saha | mahiṣasya vadhārthāya utpannā kṛṣṇapiṃgalā

Translation

Ayant obtenu cette puissance quadruple, à l’âge de Dvāpara — avec Viṣṇu — tu apparus comme Kṛṣṇapiṅgalā afin de mettre à mort le démon-buffle.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• चतुर्गुणम्: fourfold
• चतुर्गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (इदम्)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/Absolutive)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; युगे (implicit)

• विष्णुना: with Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (with)

• महिषस्य: of the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वधार्थाय: for the killing
• वधार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• उत्पन्ना: was born/arose
• उत्पन्ना: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√पद्/पन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘उत्पन्न’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृष्णपिंगला: Kṛṣṇa-piṅgalā (dark-tawny one)
• कृष्णपिंगला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पिङ्गला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (appellation)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, empowered fourfold, manifests in Dvāpara alongside Viṣṇu as Kṛṣṇapiṅgalā to slay the buffalo-demon—an energetic martial epiphany with divine alliance.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dvāpara
• Mahiṣa
• Kṛṣṇapiṅgalā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises, divine power manifests in decisive forms to protect the world and restore righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsakṣetra, where such forms and victories of Devī are recalled as sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates Devī’s protective incarnation and purpose.