Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तं श्रुत्वा भैरवं शब्दमायातो दैत्यसूदनः । आह यादोगणान्सर्वान्मा भैष्ट सुमहाबलाः

Transliteration

taṃ śrutvā bhairavaṃ śabdamāyāto daityasūdanaḥ | āha yādogaṇānsarvānmā bhaiṣṭa sumahābalāḥ

Translation

ആ ഭയാനക ശബ്ദം കേട്ട് ദൈത്യസൂദനൻ അവിടെ എത്തി, സമുദ്രജീവികളുടെ എല്ലാ കൂട്ടത്തോടും പറഞ്ഞു—“മഹാബലികളേ, ഭയപ്പെടരുത്.”

Word by Word

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (him/it)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having heard)

• bhairavam: terrible
• bhairavam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (śabdaṃ प्रति)

• śabdam: sound
• śabdam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• āyātaḥ: came/arrived
• āyātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having come/arrived)

• daityasūdanaḥ: slayer of demons
• daityasūdanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya + sūdana (प्रातिपदिक; √sūd धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (daityānāṃ sūdanaḥ), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेष-नाम (कृष्णः)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• yādogaṇān: groups of aquatic beings
• yādogaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yādas + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (yādasāṃ gaṇāḥ), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (yādogaṇān प्रति)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्; आज्ञार्थे/विधौ निषेधः (prohibitive)

• bhaiṣṭa: be afraid
• bhaiṣṭa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; निषेधेन सह (mā + loṭ)

• sumahābalāḥ: O very mighty ones
• sumahābalāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (su-mahā-balaḥ = अतिमहान् बलवान्), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative-sense)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the luminous shore, Daityasūdana arrives—calm yet powerful—raising a hand in reassurance toward the frightened sea-creatures; the fiery glow recedes in the presence of divine authority.

Characters & Entities

• Daityasūdana (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu epithet)
• Yādogaṇa (sea-creatures)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine protector responds to distress; fear is calmed through rightful authority and compassionate command.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s coastal sacred setting connected with Daityasūdana and the oceanic episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse presents divine intervention and reassurance.