Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

यत्राधिकृत्य गायत्रीं वर्ण्यते धर्मविस्तरः । वृत्रासुरवधोपेतं तद्भागवतमुच्यते

Transliteration

yatrādhikṛtya gāyatrīṃ varṇyate dharmavistaraḥ | vṛtrāsuravadhopetaṃ tadbhāgavatamucyate

Translation

ഗായത്രിയെ ആധാരമാക്കി ധർമ്മവിസ്താരം വർണ്ണിക്കുകയും, വൃത്രാസുരവധപ്രസംഗവും ഉൾക്കൊള്ളുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന ഗ്രന്ഥം ‘ഭാഗവതം’ (പുരാണം) എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/where)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अधिकृत्य: having taken up / with reference to
• अधिकृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभावप्रयोगः; ‘अधिकृत्य’ = having taken as basis/with reference to

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (mantra/metre)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; ‘is described’

• धर्मविस्तरः: the expansion/detail of dharma
• धर्मविस्तरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘धर्मस्य विस्तरः’

• वृत्रासुरवधोपेतम्: endowed with the slaying of Vṛtrāsura (episode)
• वृत्रासुरवधोपेतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of tad-bhāgavatam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्रासुर + वध + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उपेत’ (ppp of उप + √इ) = endowed with; तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘वृत्रासुरवधेन उपेतम्’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतक (demonstrative)

• भागवतम्: the Bhāgavata (text)
• भागवतम्: Karta (Subject/what is called)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; ‘is called’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deduced (Purāṇa identification by hallmark narratives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/ṛṣi audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Gāyatrī as radiant goddess/mantra-light at center; to one side Indra’s battle with Vṛtra; to the other side sages writing/reciting dharma—showing mantra as the axis of dharma and myth.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Dharma
• Vṛtrāsura
• Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is illuminated through sacred mantra-foundations (like Gāyatrī) and exemplified through epic struggles where adharma is overcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya narration, but it primarily defines the Bhāgavata Purāṇa rather than extolling a single location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse identifies a Purāṇa by its thematic basis (Gāyatrī) and a key episode (Vṛtrāsura’s slaying).