Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 134

Devanagari script

दुहितृत्वं हि मे गच्छ एवमेतन्महच्छरम् । नियच्छे त्वद्वधार्थं च प्रयुक्तं घोरदर्शनम् । प्रत्युवाच ततो वैन्यमेवमुक्ता महासती

Transliteration

duhitṛtvaṃ hi me gaccha evametanmahaccharam | niyacche tvadvadhārthaṃ ca prayuktaṃ ghoradarśanam | pratyuvāca tato vainyamevamuktā mahāsatī

Translation

“നീ എനിക്ക് പുത്രിയായി വരിക—അങ്ങനെ തന്നെയാകട്ടെ. അപ്പോൾ നിന്റെ വധാർത്ഥം പ്രയോഗിച്ച ഭയങ്കരദർശനമുള്ള മഹാശരം ഞാൻ തടഞ്ഞുനിർത്തും.” ഇങ്ങനെ കേട്ട മഹാസതി വൈന്യനോട് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• दुहितृत्वम्: daughterhood
• दुहितृत्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित) → दुहितृत्व (भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Accusative singular: state of being a daughter)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Genitive singular)

• गच्छ: go/assume
• गच्छ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Imperative: go/accept)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: thus)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Nominative singular neuter)

• महत्-शरम्: the great arrow
• महत्-शरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Accusative singular: great arrow)

• नियच्छे: I restrain/withhold
• नियच्छे: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) → नियच्छ (धातुरूप)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; (Present, 1st person singular: I restrain/hold back)

• त्वत्-वध-अर्थम्: for your killing
• त्वत्-वध-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (for the purpose of your killing)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• प्रयुक्तम्: discharged/used
• प्रयुक्तम्: Karman-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) → प्रयुक्त (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (used/shot; agreeing with शरम्)

• घोर-दर्शनम्: terrible in appearance
• घोर-दर्शनम्: Karman-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (terrible-looking; agreeing with शरम्)

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग) + उद् (उपसर्ग) → प्रत्युवाच
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Perfect: replied)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (from then/thereupon)

• वैन्यम्: to Vainya (Pṛthu)
• वैन्यम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Accusative singular: to Vainya)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• उक्ता: thus addressed
• उक्ता: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; (having been spoken to/so addressed)

• महासती: the great virtuous woman
• महासती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Vasudhā (Bhū-devī / Earth-goddess), with narrator closure in the final pāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (Vainya/Pṛthu) stands with bow drawn; a colossal, fearsome arrow hangs mid-air, arrested by a vow. The Earth-goddess, serene yet resolute, accepts daughterhood, turning imminent death into protection.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Vasudhā/Bhū-devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma culminates in reconciliation and right relationship: force is restrained when order and nurture are restored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya frames this archetypal story to celebrate the dharmic power of sacred land.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates a turning point in the mythic dialogue rather than prescribing a rite.