Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । रक्षरक्ष द्विजश्रेष्ठ त्रैलोक्यं संशयं गतम् । कालकेयैः प्रतिध्वस्तं समुद्रं समुपाश्रितैः

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | rakṣarakṣa dvijaśreṣṭha trailokyaṃ saṃśayaṃ gatam | kālakeyaiḥ pratidhvastaṃ samudraṃ samupāśritaiḥ

Translation

ದೇವರುಗಳು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ರಕ್ಷಿಸು, ರಕ್ಷಿಸು, ಓ ದ್ವಿಜಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ! ತ್ರಿಲೋಕವೂ ಸಂಶಯಭೀತಿಗೆ ಒಳಗಾಗಿದೆ; ಸಮುದ್ರವನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿದ ಕಾಲಕೇಯರು ಅದನ್ನು ಧ್ವಂಸಗೊಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• रक्ष: protect (again)
• रक्ष: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठो द्विजः)

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः)

• संशयम्: doubt/peril
• संशयम्: Karma (Object in idiom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतम्: has entered
• गतम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘gone to/entered’—संशयं गतम् (entered peril)

• कालकेयैः: by the Kālakeyas
• कालकेयैः: Karana/Agent (Doer in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रतिध्वस्तम्: devastated
• प्रतिध्वस्तम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिध्वस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्रति-√ध्वंस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘destroyed/ruined’

• समुद्रम्: the sea
• समुद्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुपाश्रितैः: having taken refuge in (it)
• समुपाश्रितैः: Karana-viśeṣaṇa (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (आश्रित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘having resorted to/occupied’—कालकेयैः ... समुपाश्रितैः (by those who have taken refuge in/occupied the sea)

Speaker

Devas (Suras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (samudra-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas, distressed, address Agastya: ‘Protect the three worlds; the Kālakeyas devastate us from their ocean refuge.’ The ocean looms as a dark, sheltering expanse.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Agastya (addressed as dvijaśreṣṭha)
• Kālakeyas
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine powers seek the shelter of spiritual authority; protection of the worlds is aligned with the sage’s dharmic power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The plea occurs after reaching Prabhāsa Kṣetra, the sacred setting of the encounter with Agastya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct supplication for protection (śaraṇāgati) is expressed; no formal rite is specified.