Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

प्रह्लादप्रमुखान्पुत्रान्स पीडयति मंदधीः । पुत्रेषु पाठ्यमानेषु प्रह्लादोऽपि पपाठ तत्

Transliteration

prahlādapramukhānputrānsa pīḍayati maṃdadhīḥ | putreṣu pāṭhyamāneṣu prahlādo'pi papāṭha tat

Translation

Cet être à l’esprit obtus tourmentait ses fils, Prahlāda en tête. Tandis qu’on leur faisait répéter la leçon, Prahlāda aussi récita cet enseignement.

Word by Word

• प्रह्लाद: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लाद: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• प्रमुखान्: foremost, headed by
• प्रमुखान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पीडयति: torments, oppresses
• पीडयति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मंदधीः: dull-witted
• मंदधीः: Kartā (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (मन्दा धीः यस्य)

• पुत्रेषु: among the sons / in the sons
• पुत्रेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• पाठ्यमानेषु: while being taught/recited
• पाठ्यमानेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative circumstance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु) → पाठ्यमान (शानच्/Present passive participle)
• Form: पाठ्यमान (कर्मणि शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle): ‘अपि’ = also/even

• पपाठ: recited, read
• पपाठ: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that (lesson)
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern daitya-father orders tutors to drill harsh lessons into young princes; among them, Prahlāda calmly recites with serene devotion, contrasting cruelty and inner radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Sons

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can persist even under coercion; the steadfast student (Prahlāda) becomes the seed of divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate frame is Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, where such exemplars support the Māhātmya’s moral authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse highlights enforced instruction versus inner conviction.