Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आयुधानि विमुच्याग्रे भवान्गृह्णात्विमानि हि । तन्निशम्य वचः प्राह दधीचिः पाकशासनम्

Transliteration

āyudhāni vimucyāgre bhavāngṛhṇātvimāni hi | tanniśamya vacaḥ prāha dadhīciḥ pākaśāsanam

Translation

“ആദ്യം ആയുധങ്ങൾ മാറ്റിവെച്ച്, ദയവായി ഇവ സ്വീകരിക്കൂ.” എന്നു കേട്ടപ്പോൾ ദധീചി പാകശാസനൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)നെ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• आयुधानि: weapons
• आयुधानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• विमुच्य: having released/laid aside
• विमुच्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• भवान्: you (honored)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; honorific pronoun)

• गृह्णातु: let (him) take / please take
• गृह्णातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Imperative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural; demonstrative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; 'that' i.e., that speech)

• निशम्य: having heard/considered
• निशम्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/√ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• दधीचिः: Dadhīci
• दधीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• पाकशासनम्: Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• पाकशासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक + शासन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra requests that the sage accept the devas’ weapons after they set them aside; the sage Dadhīci, calm and radiant, prepares to respond, embodying ascetic authority over martial might.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci
• Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• Āyudha (weapons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is to be restrained and placed under dharma; even divine weaponry is handled through disciplined, rule-bound conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharmic acts gain heightened sanctity in the Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A conduct-rule is implied: weapons should be set aside before receiving/entrusting sacred items, reflecting purity and restraint.