Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यमिदमव्यग्रं महेंद्रेण तु पालितम् । त्रेतायुगे तु दशमे कार्त्तवीर्यो महाबलः

Transliteration

trailokyamidamavyagraṃ maheṃdreṇa tu pālitam | tretāyuge tu daśame kārttavīryo mahābalaḥ

Translation

ഈ ത്രിലോകം മഹേന്ദ്രനാൽ നിർവ്യഗ്രമായി സുസംരക്ഷിതമായിരുന്നു. പിന്നെ ത്രേതായുഗത്തിന്റെ ദശമ കാലത്ത് മഹാബലനായ കാർത്തവീര്യൻ ഉദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (त्रयः लोकाः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अव्यग्रम्: untroubled, undisturbed
• अव्यग्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + व्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्यय (‘not’)

• महेन्द्रेण: by Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् इन्द्रः)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (contrast/emphasis)

• पालितम्: protected, ruled
• पालितम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘protected’

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā-yuga
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रेतायाः युगम्)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः

• दशमे: in the tenth (year/period)
• दशमे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• कार्त्तवीर्यः: Kārttavīrya
• कार्त्तवीर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• महाबलः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महद् बलं यस्य/महाबलः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, well-ordered three-world cosmos under Indra’s guardianship, transitioning to the auspicious emergence of the mighty Kārttavīrya in Tretā-yuga; celestial and royal iconography juxtaposed.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Mahendra)
• Kārttavīrya Arjuna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Good governance (protection of the worlds) is a dharmic duty, whether upheld by devas or righteous kings across yugas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra in the surrounding chapter context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is genealogical and yuga-chronological narration.