Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवं कृते सुराः सर्वे भविष्यन्ति भयोज्झिताः । अन्यथा वाडवेनैते दह्यंते स्वेन तेजसा

Transliteration

evaṃ kṛte surāḥ sarve bhaviṣyanti bhayojjhitāḥ | anyathā vāḍavenaite dahyaṃte svena tejasā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും ഭയമൊഴിഞ്ഞവരാകും; അല്ലാത്തപക്ഷം ഇവർ വാഡവന്റെ സ്വന്തം തേജസ്സാൽ ദഹിക്കപ്പെടും.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• कृते: when done; upon doing this
• कृते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) रूप; सप्तमी-एकवचनं नपुंसकलिङ्गे (locative singular neuter) — ‘कृते’ = ‘when (it is) done’ (locative absolute sense)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (agreeing with सुराः)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• भयोज्झिताः: free from fear
• भयोज्झिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + उज्झित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भयेन उज्झिताः = abandoned by fear / free from fear); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (agreeing with सुराः)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/अन्यथार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: otherwise)

• वाडवेन: by the submarine fire (vāḍava)
• वाडवेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः); तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• एते: these (gods)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (Demonstrative pronoun)

• दह्यन्ते: are burned
• दह्यन्ते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (3rd person plural); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘are burned’)

• स्वेन: by their own
• स्वेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (Instrumental singular; agreeing with तेजसा)

• तेजसा: splendor; fiery energy
• तेजसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

Speaker

Janārdana (Viṣṇu) (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ocean-facing containment locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas and Sarasvatī (implied audience of the instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic tableau: devas poised between fear and hope as the Lord declares the consequence—either fearlessness through Sarasvatī’s mission or burning by the Vāḍava fire; the ocean glows ominously with subterranean flame.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (surāḥ)
• Vāḍava
• Tejas (fiery power)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preventative: timely right action averts collective suffering and restores fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya is advanced by portraying it as the arena where cosmic dangers are resolved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it stresses urgency and consequence rather than prescribing a vow or offering.