Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

रक्षको भगवान्विष्णुः शरणागतरक्षकः । पुनः प्राहाध्वरे दक्षं दधीचो भगवन्नृप

Transliteration

rakṣako bhagavānviṣṇuḥ śaraṇāgatarakṣakaḥ | punaḥ prāhādhvare dakṣaṃ dadhīco bhagavannṛpa

Translation

Le Protecteur est Bhagavān Viṣṇu, le sauveur de ceux qui cherchent refuge. Puis, au sein de ce sacrifice, Dadhīca parla de nouveau à Dakṣa—ô roi.

Word by Word

• रक्षकः: protector
• रक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक; √रक्ष् (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed/Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विष्णुः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शरणागत-रक्षकः: protector of those who seek refuge
• शरणागत-रक्षकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरणागत (प्रातिपदिक; शरण + आगत (कृदन्त)) + रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शरणागतानां रक्षकः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अध्वरे: in the sacrifice
• अध्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दक्षं: to Dakṣa
• दक्षं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दधीचः: Dadhīci
• दधीचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the yajña hall, sage Dadhīca addresses Dakṣa with calm authority; Viṣṇu stands or sits nearby as the acknowledged protector; the king (listener) is implied by the vocative ‘nṛpa’.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dadhīca
• Dakṣa
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection is promised to the surrendered; wise counsel in sacred rites is meant to restore dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa is the māhātmya setting, though this verse focuses on the yajña episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription—only the sacrificial setting (adhvara) and admonitory discourse.