Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

फेत्कारारावमात्रेण त्रास यंत्यश्चराचरम् । अन्वगात्सा रुरुर्यत्र ताभिः सार्द्धं यशस्विनी

Transliteration

phetkārārāvamātreṇa trāsa yaṃtyaścarācaram | anvagātsā rururyatra tābhiḥ sārddhaṃ yaśasvinī

Translation

അവരുടെ ഭയങ്കര ഫേത്കാര-നാദമാത്രം കൊണ്ടു ചരാചരം എല്ലാം ഭീതിയിലായി. ആ യശസ്വിനി ദേവി അവരോടൊപ്പം റുരു ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• फेत्कार: hissing sound
• फेत्कार: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासपूर्वपद (आधार), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (phetkāra = hissing/whistling sound)

• आराव: roar
• आराव: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (ārāva = roar/cry)

• मात्रेण: by mere (sound) alone
• मात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; 'मात्रेण' = by mere measure/only

• त्रास: fear/terror
• त्रास: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• यन्ति: they cause
• यन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense implied by context (to cause)

• अश्चराचरम्: all beings, moving and unmoving
• अश्चराचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चराचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (चर + अचर) = moving and unmoving beings

• अन्वगात्: followed
• अन्वगात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुरुः: Ruru (the demon)
• रुरुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेष्य (proper name)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• ताभिः: with them
• ताभिः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with/together)

• यशस्विनी: the illustrious (lady)
• यशस्विनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of सा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maidens unleash a terrifying roar that makes the whole world tremble; the illustrious Goddess advances with them toward Ruru’s stronghold.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kanyakās
• Ruru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection is proactive: śakti does not merely console—it moves toward the source of harm to restore dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose sacred frame the approach to confront Ruru is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights the power of sacred sound and the devī’s mobilization.