Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्या दक्षिणाग्नेयसंस्थितम् । धनुषां दशके देवि संस्थितं पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

balātibaladaityaghnyā dakṣiṇāgneyasaṃsthitam | dhanuṣāṃ daśake devi saṃsthitaṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! അത് ദക്ഷിണ-ആഗ്നേയ ദിക്കിൽ സ്ഥിതമാണ്; പത്ത് ധനുസ്സുകളുടെ അകലെയുണ്ട്; ബലാതിബല ദൈത്യങ്ങളെ സംഹരിക്കുന്നതും പാപനാശകവുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्या: by/at (the place) ‘Balātibala-daitya-ghnī’ (slayer of the demon Balātibala)
• बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिबल (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—बलातिबलौ (द्वन्द्व) + दैत्यघ्नी (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय) → समस्तपदम्; तृतीया—सह/संबन्धे (by/with reference to)

• दक्षिणाग्नेयसंस्थितम्: situated in the south-east
• दक्षिणाग्नेयसंस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; नि+स्था धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—दक्षिणे आग्नेये (दक्षिणाग्नेय) + संस्थितम् (तत्पुरुष)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• दशके: in the ten (bows) measure
• दशके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• संस्थितम्: situated/established
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Karma (Predicate nominal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—पापस्य नाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopyāditya (pāpa-nāśana; Balātibala-daitya-ghnī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Āditya shrine with a protective aura; shadowy demon figures (Balātibala) shown subdued at the periphery; pilgrims approach from the south-southeast path; a small distance marker (ten dhanuṣ) depicted as measured steps or a bow-length motif.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Gopyāditya
• Balātibala (daityas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is praised not only by location but by its power to remove sin and its mythic victory over demonic forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopyāditya tīrtha/shrine in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A navigation-style prescription: the site is to be approached by the stated direction (dakṣiṇāgneya) and distance (ten dhanuṣ).