Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः प्रव्यथिता देवास्तथा सर्वे महर्षयः । समेत्यामंत्रयन्मंत्रं वधार्थं तस्य दुर्मतेः

Transliteration

tataḥ pravyathitā devāstathā sarve maharṣayaḥ | sametyāmaṃtrayanmaṃtraṃ vadhārthaṃ tasya durmateḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അത്യന്തം വ്യഥിതരായ ദേവന്മാരും എല്ലാ മഹർഷിമാരും ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി, ആ ദുര്മതിയുടെ വധാർത്ഥം പവിത്രമന്ത്രം ആഹ്വാനം ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'then/thereupon')

• प्रव्यथिताः: distressed, shaken
• प्रव्यथिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √व्यथ् (धातु) → प्रव्यथित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'greatly distressed'

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'and likewise')

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि = महा + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• समेत्य: having assembled
• समेत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + √इ (धातु) → समेत्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: 'having assembled')

• आमंत्रयन्: they consulted, invoked
• आमंत्रयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; 'they consulted/invoked'

• मंत्रम्: a mantra
• मंत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• वधार्थम्: for (his) killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वधार्थ = वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अर्थे-समासान्त-प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (purpose accusative: 'for the purpose of killing')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• दुर्मतेः: of the evil-minded (one)
• दुर्मतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति = दुर् + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: 'of the evil-minded one')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand conclave: devas with crowns and weapons, mahārṣis with matted locks and kamaṇḍalus, seated in a circle around a luminous mantra-diagram; their faces tense yet resolute, preparing a mantra for the slaying of the evil-minded.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Maharṣis
• Ruru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected through collective, disciplined spiritual action—especially mantra—when society is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the arena where divine and ṛṣi-led measures arise to safeguard sacred order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation of mantra (āmantraṇa) as a purposeful rite for removing a destructive force.