Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तं ददर्श हरिर्दूराद्दुर्वारे स्यंदने स्थितम् । चक्रहस्तं गदाशार्ङ्गसंयुतं गरुडध्वजम्

Transliteration

taṃ dadarśa harirdūrāddurvāre syaṃdane sthitam | cakrahastaṃ gadāśārṅgasaṃyutaṃ garuḍadhvajam

Translation

ദൂരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഹരി അവനെ ദുര്ഭേദ്യമായ രഥത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതായി കണ്ടു—കയ്യിൽ ചക്രം, ഗദയും ശാർങ്ഗധനുസ്സും സഹിതം, ഗരുഡധ്വജം ധരിച്ചവനായി।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana (Source/Distance/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb)

• दुर्वारे: in the hard-to-assail (chariot)
• दुर्वारे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘hard-to-resist’); पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; स्यन्दने इति अधिकरणे विशेषणम्

• स्यंदने: in the chariot
• स्यंदने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• स्थितम्: standing/placed
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object attribute/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्

• चक्रहस्तम्: having a discus in hand
• चक्रहस्तम्: Karma (Object attribute/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose hand has a discus’); पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्

• गदाशार्ङ्गसंयुतम्: equipped with mace and Śārṅga (bow)
• गदाशार्ङ्गसंयुतम्: Karma (Object attribute/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक/क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘joined with mace and Śārṅga bow’); पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्

• गरुडध्वजम्: having Garuda as his banner
• गरुडध्वजम्: Karma (Object attribute/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose banner is Garuḍa’); पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari watches from a distance: Pauṇḍraka stands in a fortified chariot, brandishing a discus and bearing mace and Śārṅga bow, with a Garuḍa-banner—an audacious counterfeit of Viṣṇu’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Pauṇḍraka
• Cakra
• Gadā
• Śārṅga
• Garuḍa-dhvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks can be copied, but true divinity is recognized by reality and righteousness, not by borrowed insignia.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is directly praised; the verse focuses on the dramatic recognition of the impostor within the larger Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya text.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing iconographic details.