Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79
पुष्पलावं लविष्यामि शिरस्तेऽहं वरासिना । अहं विष्णुरहं ब्रह्मा रुद्र इन्द्रो वरं वद
puṣpalāvaṃ laviṣyāmi śiraste'haṃ varāsinā | ahaṃ viṣṇurahaṃ brahmā rudra indro varaṃ vada
« Je couperai ta tête avec cette excellente épée comme on tranche un amas de fleurs. Je suis Viṣṇu, je suis Brahmā, je suis Rudra, je suis Indra — parle, demande une faveur ! »
Hiraṇyakaśipu
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Prahlāda
Scene: Hiraṇyakaśipu brandishes a gleaming sword, boasting of being all gods; the threat is vivid—cutting the head like slicing flowers. Prahlāda remains steadfast, the contrast stark.
FAQs
Self-deification born of pride is a hallmark of adharma; it collapses before the true Lord’s sovereignty.
The passage is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.
None; the verse is rhetorical intimidation and a deceptive offer of a ‘boon.’