Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

जीवग्राहेण दुष्टेयं गृह्यतां परुषस्वना । क्रियतां दारुणो दंडो मम वाक्यान्न संशयः

Transliteration

jīvagrāheṇa duṣṭeyaṃ gṛhyatāṃ paruṣasvanā | kriyatāṃ dāruṇo daṃḍo mama vākyānna saṃśayaḥ

Translation

'പരുഷമായി സംസാരിക്കുന്ന ഈ ദുഷ്ടയെ ജീവനോടെ പിടികൂടുക. എന്റെ കല്പനപ്രകാരം ഇവൾക്ക് കഠിനമായ ശിക്ഷ നൽകുക, അതിൽ സംശയമില്ല' എന്ന് അവൻ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• jīvagrāheṇa: by capturing alive
• jīvagrāheṇa: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva + grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jīvasya grāhaḥ)

• duṣṭā: wicked
• duṣṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• gṛhyatām: let her be seized
• gṛhyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• paruṣasvanā: by the harsh-voiced (ones)
• paruṣasvanā: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paruṣa + svana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (paruṣaḥ svanaḥ)

• kriyatām: let (it) be done
• kriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• dāruṇaḥ: terrible
• dāruṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• vākyāt: from (my) word/command
• vākyāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śumbha (implied, issuing orders)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śumbha (or the demon leader) snarls an order—‘seize her alive’—as armed dānavas lean forward, weapons ready; the Devī remains unshaken.

Characters & Entities

• Śumbha (implied)
• Devī (target of command)
• Dānavas (implied recipients)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma speaks in the language of coercion; tyrannical commands reveal inner impurity and invite swift retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the verse continues the Arbuda narrative where Devī’s supremacy will be demonstrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it depicts adharma (violent intent), serving as a cautionary contrast to dharmic conduct.