Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

विरक्ता हि प्रजास्तस्य ब्राह्मणोच्छेदकारकः । समासन्नैर्नृपैस्तस्य देशः सर्वो विलुंपितः । सैन्यं सर्वं समादाय युद्धायोपजगाम सः

Transliteration

viraktā hi prajāstasya brāhmaṇocchedakārakaḥ | samāsannairnṛpaistasya deśaḥ sarvo viluṃpitaḥ | sainyaṃ sarvaṃ samādāya yuddhāyopajagāma saḥ

Translation

Ses sujets se détournèrent de lui, car il était un destructeur de brāhmaṇa. Les rois voisins pillèrent tout son royaume. Alors il rassembla toutes ses troupes et s’avança vers la guerre.

Word by Word

• विरक्ताः: disaffected
• विरक्ताः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त (कृदन्त; √रञ्ज् (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्राह्मण-उच्छेद-कारकः: one who causes the destruction of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मण-उच्छेद-कारकः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समासन्नैः: by neighboring/nearby
• समासन्नैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समासन्न (कृदन्त; √सद् (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त (Past participle)

• नृपैः: by kings
• नृपैः: Kartā (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देशः: country, territory
• देशः: Karma (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वः: entire
• सर्वः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विलुम्पितः: plundered
• विलुम्पितः: Kriyā-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate in passive/क्रियासमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलुम्पित (कृदन्त; √लुप् (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle)

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• समादाय: having gathered/taken
• समादाय: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समादाय (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपजगाम: approached, went
• उपजगाम: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) उपसर्ग: उप
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

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

Speaker

Mṛgyu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience / internal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A realm in chaos: subjects turning away, brāhmaṇas threatened, neighboring kings’ banners at the borders, smoke from plundered villages. The king gathers an army—elephants, horses, chariots—marching toward battle under ominous skies.

Characters & Entities

• prajā (subjects)
• brāhmaṇa
• neighboring kings (nṛpa)
• army (sainya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a ruler violates dharma—especially by harming brāhmaṇas—social loyalty collapses and external calamities arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter glorifies Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa; this verse provides the cautionary narrative backdrop.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dharma-centered historical warning within the māhātmya.