Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

फाल्गुनप्रतिपदादौ चतुर्थ्यंतैश्चतुर्दिनैः । नरांतकप्रभृतयो निहताः पञ्च राक्षसाः

Transliteration

phālgunapratipadādau caturthyaṃtaiścaturdinaiḥ | narāṃtakaprabhṛtayo nihatāḥ pañca rākṣasāḥ

Translation

ଫାଲ୍ଗୁନ ପ୍ରତିପଦାରୁ ଚତୁର୍ଥୀ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଚାରି ଦିନରେ, ନରାନ୍ତକ ଆଦି ପାଞ୍ଚ ରାକ୍ଷସ ନିହତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• फाल्गुन: of Phalguna (month)
• फाल्गुन: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; (मासस्य)

• प्रतिपदा: on the first lunar day
• प्रतिपदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular (तिथिः)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण ‘आदौ’ = आरम्भे — Indeclinable used adverbially “at the beginning”

• चतुर्थी: with the fourth (tithis)
• चतुर्थी: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural (तिथयः); (समासपूर्वपद)

• अन्तैः: ending with
• अन्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; ‘अन्त’ = ending

• चतुर्दिनैः: by/for four days
• चतुर्दिनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; द्विगु-समास (कालपरिमाण)

• नरान्तक: Narāntaka (name)
• नरान्तक: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; नाम (राक्षसविशेषः)

• प्रभृतयः: and others
• प्रभृतयः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः, बहुवचनार्थे ‘प्रभृतयः’ = ‘आदयः’ — Indeclinable-like enumerative “and others”

• निहताः: were slain
• निहताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या, अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय — Indeclinable numeral

• राक्षसाः: demons
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence montage: from Phālguna pratipadā to caturthī, five rākṣasa champions fall—beginning with Narāntaka—amid vānara charges and Rāma’s strategic command; a calendrical banner marks each day.

Characters & Entities

• Narāntaka
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma’s champions fall in sequence; time itself (marked by tithis) is portrayed as moving with dharma’s restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named; the emphasis is on calendrical narration of the conflict.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses the Phālguna tithi sequence for historical/ritual-calendar memory.