Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

दंष्ट्रा करालवदनं लेलिहानमिवांबरम् । जाज्वल्यमानवपुषं पुच्छाच्छोटितमस्तकम्

Transliteration

daṃṣṭrā karālavadanaṃ lelihānamivāṃbaram | jājvalyamānavapuṣaṃ pucchācchoṭitamastakam

Translation

ഭയങ്കര ദംഷ്ട്രകളും കരാളമായി പിളർന്ന വായുമുള്ളവൻ, ആകാശം തന്നെയെ നക്കുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി. അവന്റെ ദേഹം ജ്വലിച്ചു; വാലിന്റെ അടിയാൽ തല കുലുങ്ങി അടിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• दंष्ट्रा: (with) fangs
• दंष्ट्रा: Viśeṣaṇa (Descriptive attribute/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• करालवदनम्: having a dreadful face
• करालवदनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (qualifying)

• लेलिहानम्: licking
• लेलिहानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिह् (धातु) → लेलिहान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — present participle, acc sg

• इव: as if / like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• अम्बरम्: the sky
• अम्बरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• जाज्वल्यमानवपुषम्: whose body is blazing
• जाज्वल्यमानवपुषम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु) → जाज्वल्यमान (कृदन्त) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्) 'being blazing' + 'body'

• पुच्छात्: from the tail
• पुच्छात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative Singular

• छोटितमस्तकम्: with head struck by (its) tail
• छोटितमस्तकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छोटि (धातु) → छोटित (कृदन्त) + मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) 'struck/whipped' qualifying 'head'

Speaker

Narrator within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (contextual; likely Sūta recounting the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nṛsiṃha’s terrifying visage dominates the frame—gaping mouth, prominent fangs, tongue extended as if licking the sky; body blazing like molten gold; tail sweeping behind, striking his own head in kinetic fury.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛsiṃha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power can appear terrifying to adharma; that very terror is protective for the devotee and corrective for injustice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The description is part of the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, linking the Lord’s manifestation to the sanctified kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a vivid dhyāna/darśana-style description of the Lord’s form.