Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

महाकण्ठकृतारावं सशब्द मिव तोयदम् । समुच्छ्वसितकेशांतं दुर्निरीक्ष्यं सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

mahākaṇṭhakṛtārāvaṃ saśabda miva toyadam | samucchvasitakeśāṃtaṃ durnirīkṣyaṃ surāsuraiḥ

Translation

De sa gorge puissante jaillit un rugissement tonitruant, tel un nuage grondant ; sa crinière se hérissait à chaque souffle, et il devint insoutenable à regarder même pour dieux et asuras.

Word by Word

• महाकण्ठकृतारावम्: having a roar produced by a huge throat
• महाकण्ठकृतारावम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त) + आराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समासार्थः: 'महाकण्ठेन कृतः आरावः यस्य' (having a roar made by a huge throat)

• सशब्दम्: noisy / with sound
• सशब्दम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग-सदृश) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; 'शब्देन सह' (with sound)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparison particle)

• तोयदम्: a rain-cloud
• तोयदम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोयद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• समुच्छ्वसितकेशान्तम्: with hair-ends heaving/raised by heavy breathing
• समुच्छ्वसितकेशान्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-श्वस् (धातु) → समुच्छ्वसित (कृदन्त) + केशान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) 'heaving/breathing hard' qualifying 'hair-ends' (केशान्त)

• दुर्निरीक्ष्यम्: hard to behold
• दुर्निरीक्ष्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग) + निरीक्ष्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'hard to look at'

• सुरासुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुरासुरैः: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-दृष्ट्याः साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nṛsiṃha roars from a massive throat like thunderclouds; breath lifts and bristles the mane; devas and asuras recoil, shielding their eyes from the unbearable radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Narasiṃha
• Sura
• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection manifests with overwhelming, awe-inspiring power when dharma is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa, praising the sanctity of this sacred region through divine acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a theophanic description establishing the deity’s majesty.