Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अनेन वचसा क्षुब्धो दैत्यो देत्यान्दि देश ह । मारयध्वं तु तं दुष्टं गज सर्पजलाग्नितः

Transliteration

anena vacasā kṣubdho daityo detyāndi deśa ha | mārayadhvaṃ tu taṃ duṣṭaṃ gaja sarpajalāgnitaḥ

Translation

Enragé par ces paroles, le Daitya ordonna aux Dānavas : « Tuez ce méchant, par l'éléphant, le serpent, l'eau ou le feu ! »

Word by Word

• anena: by this
• anena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental singular: by this)

• vacasā: by (these) words
• vacasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (neuter instrumental singular)

• kṣubdhaḥ: agitated
• kṣubdhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣubdha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; kṣubh(धातु)→क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• daityaḥ: the demon
• daityaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• daityān: the demons
• daityān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (masculine accusative plural)

• ādiśa: command / order
• ādiśa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: diś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (command!)

• ha: indeed/then
• ha: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (expletive/particle)

• mārayadhvam: kill (him)!
• mārayadhvam: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛ (धातु; causative मāraya-)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: kill!)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (masculine accusative singular)

• duṣṭam: wicked
• duṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; duṣ(धातु)→क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine accusative singular)

• gaja-sarpa-jala-agni-taḥ: by/through elephant, serpent, water, and fire
• gaja-sarpa-jala-agni-taḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gaja + sarpa + jala + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + taḥ (अव्यय-प्रत्ययवत्)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत्/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablative sense: from/through; expressing means/source)

Speaker

Hiraṇyakaśipu (contextual identification: the enraged Daitya king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The enraged daitya issues a brutal command to his followers: kill the devotee by elephant, serpent, water, or fire—an ominous montage of impending ordeals.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Prahlāda
• Daityas
• Elephant
• Serpent
• Water
• Fire

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Opposition to dharma escalates into cruelty, yet such trials become the stage where devotion proves steadfast.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is narrated within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes attempted modes of harm (elephant, serpent, water, fire) rather than a rite.