Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अस्मिंस्तारकयुद्धे तु प्रलंबोनाम दानवः । पलायित्वा स्कंदभीत्या पापः पातालमाविशत्

Transliteration

asmiṃstārakayuddhe tu pralaṃbonāma dānavaḥ | palāyitvā skaṃdabhītyā pāpaḥ pātālamāviśat

Translation

इस तारक-युद्ध में प्रलम्ब नामक पापी दानव स्कन्द के भय से भागकर पाताल में जा घुसा।

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तारक-युद्धे: in the battle with Tāraka
• तारक-युद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘तारकस्य युद्धम्’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• प्रलम्बः: Pralamba
• प्रलम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pralamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निपात (quotative/‘by name’)

• दानवः: a demon
• दानवः: Karta (Appositive subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to प्रलम्बः)

• पलायित्वा: having fled
• पलायित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: palāy (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकाल (having fled)

• स्कन्द-भीत्या: out of fear of Skanda
• स्कन्द-भीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘स्कन्दस्य भीतिः’ → ‘स्कन्दभीतिः’

• पापः: sinful, wicked
• पापः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दानवः/प्रलम्बः)

• पातालम्: to Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आविशत्: entered
• आविशत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viś (धातु) उपसर्ग: ā-
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrified demon Pralaṃba flees from a blazing, youthful Skanda amid the chaos of the Tāraka-war, descending toward a dark, serpent-guarded underworld.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Tāraka (war context)
• Pralaṃba (dānava)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma retreats before divine शक्ति; Skanda’s presence drives away destructive forces even across realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse belongs to the martial/cosmic narrative connected to Skanda’s victory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative statement about the demon’s flight.