Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अनुनेतुं नृपो वेनस्तत्र क्रुद्धा महर्षयः । आथर्वणेन मंत्रेण हत्वा तं ते महाबलम्

Transliteration

anunetuṃ nṛpo venastatra kruddhā maharṣayaḥ | ātharvaṇena maṃtreṇa hatvā taṃ te mahābalam

Translation

Di sana para maharishi, murka (kepadanya), berusaha menasihati Raja Vena agar kembali kepada kewarasan; lalu dengan mantra Atharvan mereka menumbangkan dia, yang sangat perkasa itu.

Word by Word

• अनुनेतुम्: to conciliate
• अनुनेतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + नी (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘to conciliate/lead after’

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वेनः: Vena
• वेनः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नृपः इत्यस्य विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• क्रुद्धाः: angered
• क्रुद्धाः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आथर्वणेन: Atharvan (pertaining to Atharva-veda)
• आथर्वणेन: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (मन्त्रेण)

• मन्त्रेण: by a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having slain’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महा-बलम्: mighty/very strong
• महा-बलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of तम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् बलम्)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer within māhātmya frame (not specified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of great sages confronting King Vena; some attempt persuasion, then a solemn moment of Atharvanic mantra utterance, with a visible surge of spiritual energy striking the king.

Characters & Entities

• Vena
• Maharṣis
• Atharva Veda (Ātharvaṇa mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rulers abandon dharma, the guardians of dharma (ṛṣis) act to protect the cosmic and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the overarching sacred setting; this passage provides dhārmic history within its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mantra-act is referenced (Ātharvaṇa mantra), but no public ritual like snāna/dāna/japa is prescribed in this verse.