Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

उवाच चैनं नाधर्म्यं स्त्रीवधं परिपश्यसि । कथं धारयिता चासि प्रजा राजन्मया विना

Transliteration

uvāca cainaṃ nādharmyaṃ strīvadhaṃ paripaśyasi | kathaṃ dhārayitā cāsi prajā rājanmayā vinā

Translation

Lalu ia berkata kepadanya, “Tidakkah engkau melihat bahwa membunuh seorang perempuan adalah adharma? Wahai Raja, tanpa aku bagaimana engkau akan menegakkan dan memelihara rakyat?”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अधर्म्यम्: unrighteous/against dharma
• अधर्म्यम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक; अधर्म + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्त्रीवधम्: killing of a woman
• स्त्रीवधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः वधः)

• परिपश्यसि: you see/consider
• परिपश्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः परि-

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• धारयिता: sustainer/bearer
• धारयिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृ (धातु) + तृ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तरि तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/अस्ति-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• मया: by me/with me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थक अव्यय/उपपद (postposition governing instrumental)

Speaker

Bhū-devī / Mahī (the Earth goddess) speaking to Vainya (Pṛthu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhūdevī speaks firmly to Vainya: ‘Do you not see the unrighteousness of killing a woman?’ Her posture is dignified; Vainya’s raised bow hesitates as the moral argument lands.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū-devī (Earth)
• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma restrains power: even a ruler must avoid adharma such as violence against the helpless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, where dharmic dialogues enhance the tīrtha’s spiritual authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical injunction emphasizing non-adharmic action.