Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अथवा चन्द्रहासेन त्वां करिष्ये विकंधरम् । रावणेनैवमुक्तस्तु धूम्राक्षो गरुडो यथा

Transliteration

athavā candrahāsena tvāṃ kariṣye vikaṃdharam | rāvaṇenaivamuktastu dhūmrākṣo garuḍo yathā

Translation

“അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ചന്ദ്രഹാസ ഖഡ്ഗംകൊണ്ട് നിന്നെ ശിരസ്സറ്റവനാക്കും!” രാവണൻ ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ധൂമ്രാക്ഷൻ ഗരുഡനെപ്പോലെ വേഗത്തിൽ പുറപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or, alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (indeclinable particle expressing alternative: “or”)

• चन्द्रहासेन: with Candrahāsa (sword)
• चन्द्रहासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• करिष्ये: I shall make
• करिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future); उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (I shall do/make)

• विकन्धरम्: neckless, without a neck (decapitated)
• विकन्धरम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; predicate-object)

• रावणेन: by Rāvaṇa
• रावणेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular; agent in passive/quote-source)

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

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: “but/indeed”)

• धूम्राक्षः: Dhūmrākṣa
• धूम्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular; upamāna)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक/तुलनार्थक (comparative particle: “as/like”)

Speaker

Narrator (with embedded quote of Rāvaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa brandishes or invokes the sword Candrahāsa in a threat; Dhūmrākṣa launches away with birdlike speed, compared to Garuḍa.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Dhūmrākṣa
• Candrahāsa
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear-based command may produce swift action, but it reveals the inner violence of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is framed within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, connected to the greatness of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of threat and departure.