Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा दैत्यान्पुरा देवैर्निर्जितान्नृपसत्तम । चिन्तयामास मेधावी भार्गवस्तान्प्रति द्विजः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā daityānpurā devairnirjitānnṛpasattama | cintayāmāsa medhāvī bhārgavastānprati dvijaḥ

Translation

ହେ ନୃପସତ୍ତମ! ପୂର୍ବକାଳରେ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦୈତ୍ୟମାନେ ପରାଜିତ ହୋଇଥିବାକୁ ଦେଖି, ମେଧାବୀ ଭାର୍ଗବ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ଚିନ୍ତା କରିଲେ।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: दृश्; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done/seen)

• दैत्यान्: the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्यान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• निर्जितान्: defeated, conquered
• निर्जितान्: Karma (Qualifying the object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + जि (धातु) → निर्जित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् दैत्यान्

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• चिन्तयामास: he pondered
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थे—चिन्तयति स्म (he pondered)

• मेधावी: wise, intelligent
• मेधावी: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भर्गवः)

• भार्गवः: the Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; दैत्यान् इति अन्वयः

• प्रति: towards, regarding
• प्रति: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Relational marker: towards/with regard to)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• द्विजः: the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भार्गवस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa-sattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra (Bhārgava), contemplative and radiant, observes the aftermath of a Deva victory over Daityas; he withdraws into thought, planning a devotional course of action.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Devas
• Śukra (Bhārgava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Crisis and defeat become the catalyst for turning to higher spiritual strategy—here, Śukra’s reflective resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the narrative background for Śukreśvara in Arbuda-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the storyline that leads to worship and consecration.