Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्या हसंत्या निश्चेरुर्वरांगाः कन्यकाः पुनः । पाशांकुशधराः सर्वाः पीनश्रोणिपयोधराः

Transliteration

tasyā hasaṃtyā niścerurvarāṃgāḥ kanyakāḥ punaḥ | pāśāṃkuśadharāḥ sarvāḥ pīnaśroṇipayodharāḥ

Translation

അവൾ ഹസിക്കുമ്പോൾ വീണ്ടും മനോഹരാംഗികളായ അനേകം കന്യകകൾ പുറപ്പെട്ടു— എല്ലാവരും പാശവും അങ്കുശവും ധരിച്ചവർ; പുഷ്ടമായ നിതംബവും പുഷ്ടമായ സ്തനവും ഉള്ളവർ.

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — 'of her'

• हसन्त्याः: of (her) laughing
• हसन्त्याः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √has (हस्)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — 'of (her) laughing'

• निश्चेरुः: emerged
• निश्चेरुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis + √car (चर्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — 'they came out/emerged'

• वर-अङ्गाः: having excellent limbs
• वर-अङ्गाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः — 'वराणि अङ्गानि यसाम्'

• कन्यकाः: maidens
• कन्यकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Manner/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक) — 'again'

• पाश-अङ्कुश-धराः: bearing noose and goad
• पाश-अङ्कुश-धराः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः — 'पाशं च अङ्कुशं च धरन्ति' (instrument/possession sense)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (कन्यकाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• पीन-श्रोणि-पयोधराः: with full hips and breasts
• पीन-श्रोणि-पयोधराः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदिक) + śroṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + payodhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-बहुपदसमासः — 'पीनश्रोणयः पीनपयोधराश्च' (descriptive)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the Goddess’s laughter stream forth radiant maidens with splendid limbs, each holding a noose and goad—sensuous yet martial, embodying controlled power.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kanyakās (maidens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śakti is manifold—one divine will can manifest many assisting powers to restrain and subdue adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the devī’s protective host is revealed within the sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; however, the pāśa (binding) and aṅkuśa (control) imagery suggests restraint and discipline as dharmic principles.