Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा देवयुगे राजन्महिषोनाम दानवः । पितामहवराद्दृप्तः सर्वदेवभयंकरः

Transliteration

purā devayuge rājanmahiṣonāma dānavaḥ | pitāmahavarāddṛptaḥ sarvadevabhayaṃkaraḥ

Translation

Wahai Raja, pada zaman purba para dewa dahulu ada seorang asura bernama Mahiṣa. Karena anugerah dari Pitāmaha Brahmā, ia menjadi congkak dan menakutkan bagi semua dewa.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देवयुगे: in the age of the gods
• देवयुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवानां युगः)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• महिषः: Mahiṣa
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः; संज्ञा-निर्देशक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating name)

• दानवः: a demon
• दानवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पितामहवरात्: from Brahmā's boon
• पितामहवरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पितामहस्य वरः)

• दृप्तः: arrogant, intoxicated (with pride)
• दृप्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) ‘दृप्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वदेवभयंकरः: terrifying to all the gods
• सर्वदेवभयंकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भयंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां देवानां भयंकरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Purāṇic narration to a royal listener within Arbuda-khaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king; name not specified in the given verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable buffalo-asura figure (or a daitya named Mahiṣa) stands triumphant, radiating arrogance after receiving Brahmā’s boon; Brahmā is shown granting a boon from a lotus-seat, while distant devas look anxious.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣa
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine boons without humility lead to arrogance, which becomes a cause of suffering for the world and invites eventual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative setup within Arbuda Khaṇḍa; a specific tīrtha is not directly praised in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the antagonist and the cosmic crisis.