Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पिशाचा यातुधानाश्च मातरो जातहारिकाः । बालग्रहास्तथा चान्ये बुद्धाश्चैव तु ये ग्रहाः

Transliteration

piśācā yātudhānāśca mātaro jātahārikāḥ | bālagrahāstathā cānye buddhāścaiva tu ye grahāḥ

Translation

Les piśāca et les yātudhāna, les « mères » qui dérobent les nouveau-nés, les forces qui saisissent les enfants, et d’autres afflictions de possession semblables—

Word by Word

• piśācāḥ: piśācas, goblins
• piśācāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yātudhānāḥ: yātudhānas, demons
• yātudhānāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātudhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mātaraḥ: mothers (mother-spirits)
• mātaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• jātahārikāḥ: newborn-snatchers
• jātahārikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (प्रातिपदिक) + hārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jātasya hārikāḥ = those who steal/carry off newborns)

• bālagrahāḥ: child-seizers (bāla-grahas)
• bālagrahāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bālasya grahāḥ = child-seizing spirits)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: likewise)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied beings)

• buddhāḥ: buddhas (a class of beings/spirits)
• buddhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• ye: who/which
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• grahāḥ: seizers/afflicting spirits
• grahāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Someśvara/Kālāgnirudra) to Devī (Deveśī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: frame-dialogue listener (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother and infant near the shrine; shadowy ‘mātaraḥ’ and ‘bālagrahas’ dissolve in the liṅga’s radiance; priests perform ārati, creating a protective canopy of light.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Someśvara
• Piśāca
• Yātudhāna
• Bālagraha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text presents Śiva’s sacred presence as a shield against fear, harm, and unseen afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra, centered on the Someśvara liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit in this verse; it supports the ensuing claim that Someśvara-darśana nullifies such harms.