Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यदा संग्राममध्ये त्वं स्थाता शक्र भविष्यसि । तदा त्वं शत्रुभिर्बद्धो नीतः परमिकां दशाम्

Transliteration

yadā saṃgrāmamadhye tvaṃ sthātā śakra bhaviṣyasi | tadā tvaṃ śatrubhirbaddho nītaḥ paramikāṃ daśām

Translation

ಹೇ ಶಕ್ರಾ, ನೀನು ಯುದ್ಧದ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಾಗ, ಶತ್ರುಗಳು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸಿ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ದು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ತಳ್ಳುವರು.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: “when”)

• संग्राममध्ये: in the midst of battle
• संग्राममध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संग्रामस्य मध्ये = in the midst of battle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्थाता: (as) one who will stand / will be stationed
• स्थाता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: भविष्यत्कालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्तः; लृट्-सम्बद्धः ‘स्थातृ’/‘स्थाता’ (agent noun/incipient future sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• भविष्यसि: you will be
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शत्रुभिः: by enemies
• शत्रुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Karma (Object-state/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नीतः: led / taken
• नीतः: Kriya (Resultant action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परमिकाम्: extreme / utmost
• परमिकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘दशाम्’)

• दशाम्: condition, state
• दशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sāvitrī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic tableau: Indra in the thick of battle, then seized and bound by enemies; the scene is dynamic yet framed as inevitability—like a vision spoken by Sāvitrī.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Śakra (Indra)
• Enemies (Śatru)
• Battle (Saṃgrāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is not permanent; adharmic actions can lead to public downfall, even for the mighty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra provides the māhātmya setting, though the verse itself is a moral-prophetic statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.