Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

कुशेन प्रेषितश्चास्मि समीपे ते जनार्दन । किं तवापकृतं नाथ येन दैत्याञ्जिघांससि

Transliteration

kuśena preṣitaścāsmi samīpe te janārdana | kiṃ tavāpakṛtaṃ nātha yena daityāñjighāṃsasi

Translation

ହେ ଜନାର୍ଦ୍ଦନ! କୁଶ ମୋତେ ଆପଣଙ୍କ ନିକଟକୁ ପଠାଇଛନ୍ତି। ହେ ନାଥ! ସେମାନେ ଆପଣଙ୍କର କ’ଣ କ୍ଷତି କରିଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁଥିପାଇଁ ଆପଣ ଦୈତ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ହତ୍ୟା କରିବାକୁ ଚାହୁଁଛନ୍ତି?

Word by Word

• कुशेन: by Kusha
• कुशेन: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रेषितः: sent/dispatched
• प्रेषितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्/इष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/अस्ति-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• समीपे: near/in the vicinity
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जनार्दन: O Janardana
• जनार्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्न-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपकृतम्: wrong/harm done (to you)
• अपकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपकृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ with अप-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• येन: by which/whereby
• येन: Karana (Cause/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न (relative)

• दैत्यान्: demons/Daityas
• दैत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• जिघांससि: you wish/desire to kill
• जिघांससि: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: सन्नन्त (Desiderative) धातुरूप; लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sumanā (sage, as messenger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muktitīrtha (contextual, named explicitly in v.20.73)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Janārdana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful messenger, sent by Kuśa, stands before Janārdana in Dvārakā, palms joined, asking why the Lord intends to slay the Daityas; the sea-city and temple spires glint in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa (Daitya)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before violence, dharma demands inquiry into cause and offense; even enemies may seek clarification and reconciliation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s Māhātmya is reinforced through dharmic dialogue in the presence of Janārdana, marking the place as spiritually authoritative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse centers on dharmic questioning and moral causality behind conflict.