Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नान्यथा शक्यते नेतुं वाडवोऽग्निर्महाबलः । अदृष्टदोषां मुक्त्वेमां कुमारीं तनयां तव

Transliteration

nānyathā śakyate netuṃ vāḍavo'gnirmahābalaḥ | adṛṣṭadoṣāṃ muktvemāṃ kumārīṃ tanayāṃ tava

Translation

“മഹാബലമുള്ള വാഡവാഗ്നിയെ കൊണ്ടുപോകാൻ മറ്റൊരു മാർഗമില്ല. ദോഷം കാണാത്ത ഈ കുമാരിയെ—നിന്റെ പുത്രിയെ—മുക്തയാക്കുക।”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (otherwise)

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• नेतुम्: to lead/take away
• नेतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ

• वाडवः: the Vāḍava (submarine)
• वाडवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाबलः: very powerful
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् बलः यस्य)

• अदृष्टदोषाम्: one whose fault is unseen/unknown
• अदृष्टदोषाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत्-विशेषणप्रयोगः; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अदृष्टः दोषः यस्याः)

• मुक्त्वा: having released/let go
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• कुमारीम्: maiden, girl
• कुमारीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तनयाम्: daughter
• तनयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (कुमारीम् इति)

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Vāsudeva/Viṣṇu (addressing Brahmā, per the flow from Śloka 19)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva tells Brahmā that the mighty Vāḍava fire cannot be removed otherwise and asks him to release his faultless daughter, the maiden—an image combining cosmic peril with ethical vindication.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vāsudeva
• Vāḍava Agni
• Brahmā
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic danger arises, dharma seeks the least harmful righteous means, protecting the innocent while restoring balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the narrative frame; its greatness is amplified by cosmic events involving oceanic fire and divine action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is mythic instruction about removing a peril (Vāḍava Agni) through a divinely appointed agent.