Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कूर्मपृष्ठो गोलकश्च क्रोधनो वेददूषकः । यज्ञघ्नो यज्ञहंता च धर्मान्तकस्तपस्विहा

Transliteration

kūrmapṛṣṭho golakaśca krodhano vedadūṣakaḥ | yajñaghno yajñahaṃtā ca dharmāntakastapasvihā

Translation

അവരിൽ കൂർമപൃഷ്ഠൻ, ഗോളകൻ, വേദദൂഷകനായ ക്രോധനൻ, യജ്ഞഘ്നനും യജ്ഞഹന്താവും—യജ്ഞനാശകർ—തപസ്വിഹന്തനായ ധർമാന്തകനും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• kūrmapṛṣṭhaḥ: Kūrmapṛṣṭha (a demon named ‘Tortoise-backed’)
• kūrmapṛṣṭhaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūrma (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थे (कूर्मस्य पृष्ठम् यस्य/कूर्मपृष्ठः)

• golakaḥ: Golaka
• golakaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: golaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• krodhanaḥ: Krodhana
• krodhanaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vedadūṣakaḥ: defiler of the Veda
• vedadūṣakaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + dūṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थे (वेदस्य दूषकः)

• yajñaghnaḥ: slayer of sacrifices
• yajñaghnaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञं हन्ति इति)

• yajñahantā: destroyer of sacrifices
• yajñahantā: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + hantṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य हन्ता)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dharmāntakaḥ: ender of dharma
• dharmāntakaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थे (धर्मस्य अन्तकः/नाशकः)

• tapasvihā: slayer of ascetics
• tapasvihā: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक) + hā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तपस्विनां हा/हन्ता)

Speaker

Prahlāda (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim roll-call of daityas: Kūrmapṛṣṭha with a tortoise-like back, Golaka, Krodhana with blazing eyes, Vedadūṣaka bearing torn palm-leaves, Yajñaghna and Yajñahantā with sacrificial implements broken, Dharmāntaka looming over frightened ascetics.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrmapṛṣṭha
• Golaka
• Krodhana
• Veda
• Yajña
• Dharmāntaka
• Tapasvins (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forces that attack Veda, yajña, and tapas are marked as anti-dharma and are destined to be checked by divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s māhātmya setting, where threats to sacrifice and asceticism are confronted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; the verse indirectly upholds yajña and Vedic purity by condemning their destroyers.