Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

अलभंती तु सा त्राणं वैन्यमेवाभ्यपद्यत । कृतांजलिपुटा देवी पूज्या लोकैस्त्रिभिस्सदा

Transliteration

alabhaṃtī tu sā trāṇaṃ vainyamevābhyapadyata | kṛtāṃjalipuṭā devī pūjyā lokaistribhissadā

Translation

कुठेही त्राण न मिळाल्याने तिने वैन्यालाच शरण घेतली; हात जोडून उभी असलेली ती देवी (पृथ्वी) त्रैलोक्याने सदा पूज्य आहे।

Word by Word

• अलभन्ती: not obtaining
• अलभन्ती: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लभ् (धातु) → लभत् (शतृ) + नञ्-पूर्वक (अ-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); नकारार्थे ‘अ-’ (not obtaining)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्राणम्: protection, refuge
• त्राणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वैन्यम्: Vainya (Pṛthu)
• वैन्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• अभ्यपद्यत: took refuge in, approached
• अभ्यपद्यत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पद् (धातु) → अभ्यपद्यत् (लङ्)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटा: with hands folded
• कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ; क्त/PPP) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘कृत’ + ‘अञ्जलिपुट’ (folded hands); ‘देवी’विशेषण

• देवी: the goddess (Earth as cow)
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूज्या: worthy of worship
• पूज्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (यत्/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’)

• लोकैः: by the worlds/people
• लोकैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive sense (करण/कर्तृसाधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• त्रिभिः: by the three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण; ‘लोकैः’विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhūdevī, the Earth-goddess, stops fleeing and approaches Vainya with folded hands, her face composed yet pleading; Vainya remains armed, but the moment turns toward negotiation.

Characters & Entities

• Devī Mahī (Earth goddess)
• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic powers submit to dharma; refuge and reconciliation can arise from humility and right order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya-context, presenting dharma-kathā as spiritually merit-giving for pilgrims.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the verse affirms the worship-worthiness of the Earth goddess (Bhū-devī).