Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

प्रासादे स्त्रीसहस्राणां प्रावोचं मध्यतोऽप्यहम् । असुराधमदुर्बुद्धे शक्रस्त्वामाह तच्छृणु

Transliteration

prāsāde strīsahasrāṇāṃ prāvocaṃ madhyato'pyaham | asurādhamadurbuddhe śakrastvāmāha tacchṛṇu

Translation

ପ୍ରାସାଦରେ ସହସ୍ର ନାରୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ମୁଁ ଉଚ୍ଚସ୍ୱରେ କହିଲି— “ହେ ଅସୁରାଧମ, ଦୁର୍ବୁଦ୍ଧି! ଶକ୍ର ତୁମକୁ କହୁଛନ୍ତି; ତାହା ଶୁଣ।”

Word by Word

• prāsāde: in the palace
• prāsāde: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• strīsahasrāṇām: of thousands of women
• strīsahasrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: 'स्त्रीणां सहस्राणि' = 'thousands of women'

• prāvocam: I spoke, I proclaimed
• prāvocam: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• madhyataḥ: from the midst
• madhyataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from the midst/among'

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): 'also/even'

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• asurādhama-durbuddhe: O lowest Asura, O evil-minded one
• asurādhama-durbuddhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक) + durbuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (बहुपद): 'असुरेषु अधमः' + 'दुर्बुद्धिः' (vocative used as abusive address)

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• āha: said
• āha: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śṛṇu: hear, listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Dhanañjaya (envoy) addressing the Asura lord

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Asura lord (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a grand asura palace filled with attendants and thousands of women, the envoy stands firm and proclaims Indra’s message, rebuking the asura lord as vile and crooked-minded.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanañjaya
• Śakra (Indra)
• Asura lord
• Palace

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma speaks plainly even in hostile courts; truth is delivered without fear despite intimidating surroundings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a proclamation of Indra’s message.