Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । अवध्यः सर्वथा दूतः सर्वत्र परिकीर्तितः । अवस्थासु ततो न त्वं सहसा भस्मसात्कृतः

Transliteration

devyuvāca | avadhyaḥ sarvathā dūtaḥ sarvatra parikīrtitaḥ | avasthāsu tato na tvaṃ sahasā bhasmasātkṛtaḥ

Translation

ದೇವಿಯು ಹೇಳಿದಳು—ದೂತನು ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ಅವಧ್ಯನೆಂದು ಕೀರ್ತಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಯಾವ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ತಕ್ಷಣ ಭಸ್ಮಗೊಳಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अवध्यः: not to be killed; inviolable
• अवध्यः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (dūtaḥ)

• सर्वथा: in every way; always
• सर्वथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/निश्चयवाचक (in every way/always)

• दूतः: messenger
• दूतः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (everywhere)

• परिकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• परिकीर्तितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (dūtaḥ)

• अवस्थासु: in situations; in circumstances
• अवस्थासु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Logical/temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतु/क्रमवाचक (therefore/then)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly; rashly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आकस्मिक/त्वरितवाचक (suddenly/impetuously)

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Resultative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिणामवाचक (to ashes; into ash-state)

• कृतः: made; reduced
• कृतः: Kriyā (Predicative in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (passive sense)

Speaker

Devī/Parameśvarī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The goddess declares the inviolability of a messenger; a faint aura of fire surrounds her, implying she could burn him to ash, yet she stays her power; the envoy stands spared, humbled.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma restrains power: even when provoked, one honors ethical rules—here, the long-held rule that a messenger is not to be killed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is spoken in the Arbuda Parvata setting, reinforcing the sacred region’s dharmic atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dharma-rule (nīti/dharma) regarding treatment of envoys.