Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

भैरवाभरणो नेता सदा घूर्णितलोचनः । प्रवृत्ततंद्रवन्मूढो वध्यश्चासावितस्ततः

Transliteration

bhairavābharaṇo netā sadā ghūrṇitalocanaḥ | pravṛttataṃdravanmūḍho vadhyaścāsāvitastataḥ

Translation

ഭൈരവാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച ആ നേതാവ്, കണ്ണുകൾ എപ്പോഴും ചുറ്റുന്നവൻ—തന്ദ്രാവസ്ഥയിലായവനെപ്പോലെ മോഹിതൻ—അതുകൊണ്ട് ശിക്ഷക്കും വധത്തിനും യോഗ്യനായി.

Word by Word

• भैरवाभरणः: terribly adorned
• भैरवाभरणः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भैरवस्य आभरणम्/भैरव-आभरणः = dreadful-ornamented)

• नेता: leader, guide
• नेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• घूर्णितलोचनः: with rolling eyes
• घूर्णितलोचनः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घूर्णित + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (घूर्णिते लोचने यस्य)

• प्रवृत्ततन्द्रवत्: as if seized by drowsiness
• प्रवृत्ततन्द्रवत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त + तन्द्र + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/तुल्यवाचक ‘वत्’ अन्त, प्रथमा-एकवचन (पुं); तत्पुरुष-भावः (प्रवृत्ता तन्द्रा इव)

• मूढः: confused/foolish (man)
• मूढः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणवत्

• वध्यः: to be executed
• वध्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—वधार्हः (fit to be killed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इतस्ततः: here and there
• इतस्ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् + ततस् (अव्यय-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय-समाहार (indeclinable pair), अर्थः—इतः च ततः च (here and there)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Sūta’s recitation in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A swaggering leader wearing Bhairava-like ornaments, eyes rolling in intoxicated stupor, is denounced as deserving punishment; the crowd recoils.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External religious appearance cannot mask adharma; delusion and harmful conduct lead to rightful consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the setting; its māhātmya teaches dharma through episodes of fall and correction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes character and karmic-legal consequence.