Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

पुष्पलावं लविष्यामि शिरस्तेऽहं वरासिना । अहं विष्णुरहं ब्रह्मा रुद्र इन्द्रो वरं वद

Transliteration

puṣpalāvaṃ laviṣyāmi śiraste'haṃ varāsinā | ahaṃ viṣṇurahaṃ brahmā rudra indro varaṃ vada

Translation

"Aku akan memenggal kepalamu dengan pedang yang hebat ini seperti memotong sekumpulan bunga. Akulah Viṣṇu, Akulah Brahmā, Rudra, Indra—bercakaplah, mintalah satu kurnia!"

Word by Word

• puṣpa-lāvaṃ: a cutting/heap of flowers
• puṣpa-lāvaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + lāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पस्य लावः)

• laviṣyāmi: I will cut
• laviṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vara-asinā: with an excellent sword
• vara-asinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (असि-शब्दः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरः असिः)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (सम्बोधन-न, विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• varaṃ: a boon
• varaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vada: speak/say
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Hiraṇyakaśipu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hiraṇyakaśipu brandishes a gleaming sword, boasting of being all gods; the threat is vivid—cutting the head like slicing flowers. Prahlāda remains steadfast, the contrast stark.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Prahlāda
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Rudra
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-deification born of pride is a hallmark of adharma; it collapses before the true Lord’s sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is rhetorical intimidation and a deceptive offer of a ‘boon.’