Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

निघ्नंतमिव शार्दूलं सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम् । मह्यामालिख्य नामानि विनिघ्नंतं द्विषां गणम्

Transliteration

nighnaṃtamiva śārdūlaṃ sarvopadravanāśanam | mahyāmālikhya nāmāni vinighnaṃtaṃ dviṣāṃ gaṇam

Translation

तो जणू शार्दूलासारखा शत्रूंना पाडून टाकणारा, सर्व उपद्रवांचा नाश करणारा भासला। भूमीवर नावे लिहून तो द्वेष्ट्यांचा समूह चिरडीत होता।

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्तम्: striking down, slaying
• निघ्नन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु) → निघ्नत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; describes the seen person)

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

• शार्दूलम्: tiger
• शार्दूलम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; upamāna)

• सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम्: destroyer of all calamities
• सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextually agrees with accusative singular of the person); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषाम् उपद्रवानाम् नाशनम्)

• मह्याम्: on the ground/earth
• मह्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• आलिख्य: having written/drawn
• आलिख्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal form)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• विनिघ्नन्तम्: striking down completely
• विनिघ्नन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + हन् (धातु) → विनिघ्नत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• द्विषाम्: of enemies
• द्विषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विष् (धातु) → द्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; शत्रु-वाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• गणम्: group, host
• गणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure crouches like a tiger, inscribing names on the earth with a finger or stylus; as each name is written, shadowy enemy-forms collapse, while a protective aura spreads across the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Ajāpāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic power can be protective and calamity-destroying, expressed through disciplined, vow-backed sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya framework; the verse highlights protective potency within that sacred context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective act is implied: writing names on the ground as part of a kṛtya/mantra-like procedure to subdue enemies.