Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा वचस्तेषां देवदेवो जनार्द्दनः । दानवस्यवधार्थाय देवानां रक्षणाय च । चक्रे यत्नं महाबाहुः प्रभासक्षेत्रवल्लभः

Transliteration

iti śrutvā vacasteṣāṃ devadevo janārddanaḥ | dānavasyavadhārthāya devānāṃ rakṣaṇāya ca | cakre yatnaṃ mahābāhuḥ prabhāsakṣetravallabhaḥ

Translation

അവരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ദേവദേവനായ ജനാർദ്ദനൻ ദാനവവധത്തിനും ദേവന്മാരുടെ രക്ഷയ്ക്കുമായി പരിശ്രമം ആരംഭിച്ചു. പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ പ്രിയനായ മഹാബാഹു ഭഗവാൻ പ്രവർത്തിയിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• वचः: the words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative singular)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive plural)

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; देवानां देवः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• जनार्द्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्द्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• दानवस्य: of the demon
• दानवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive singular)

• वध-अर्थाय: for the purpose of slaying
• वध-अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative singular); वधस्य अर्थः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; प्रयोजन-द्योतक (purpose)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, बहुवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive plural)

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative singular); प्रयोजन (for protection)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• चक्रे: made/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-रूप ‘चकार’ के स्थान पर आत्मनेपद-रूप ‘चक्रे’

• यत्नं: effort
• यत्नं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative singular)

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; महान्तौ बाहू यस्य (रूढ्या विशेषणवत्)

• प्रभास-क्षेत्र-वल्लभः: beloved of the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभास-क्षेत्र-वल्लभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; प्रभासक्षेत्रस्य वल्लभः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nested)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Janārdana’s protective seat)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana, hearing the devas’ plea, rises with decisive energy—mighty-armed—preparing to destroy the demon and protect the gods, with Prabhāsa’s sacred aura surrounding him.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Devas
• Dānava
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord acts to restore dharma—protecting the righteous and removing oppressive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, explicitly praised as dear to the Lord who undertakes protection there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights divine intervention for loka-saṃgraha (welfare of the worlds).