Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

तं छिन्नशिरसं भूमौ पातितं वीक्ष्य केशवः । चिच्छेद बाहू पादौ च खङ्गेन तिलशस्तथा

Transliteration

taṃ chinnaśirasaṃ bhūmau pātitaṃ vīkṣya keśavaḥ | ciccheda bāhū pādau ca khaṅgena tilaśastathā

Translation

ତାହାର ମସ୍ତକ ଛିନ୍ନ ହୋଇ ଭୂମିରେ ପଡ଼ିଥିବାର ଦେଖି, କେଶବ ଖଡ୍ଗ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତାହାର ବାହୁ ଓ ପାଦକୁ ତିଳ ସଦୃଶ ଖଣ୍ଡ ଖଣ୍ଡ କରି କାଟିଦେଲେ ।

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• chinna-śirasam: one whose head was cut off
• chinna-śirasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: chinna (कृदन्त, √chid छिद्) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (छिन्नं शिरः यस्य/छिन्न-शिरस्)

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• pātitam: fallen/caused to fall
• pātitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātita (कृदन्त, √pat पत्/√pāt पात् caus.)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (ईक्ष्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• ciccheda: cut off
• ciccheda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (छिद्)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• bāhū: (two) arms
• bāhū: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्

• pādau: (two) feet
• pādau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• khaṅgena: with a sword
• khaṅgena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्

• tilaśaḥ: into tiny pieces
• tilaśaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tilaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘into sesame-sized pieces’)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kuśa lies headless; Keśava, sword drawn, reduces the body further—rendered in stylized, non-gory fragments—like sesame scattered, emphasizing utter defeat.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic idiom portrays the thorough removal of adharma—symbolically, evil is not merely checked but uprooted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā remains the sanctified setting; the māhātmya ties divine deeds to the place’s spiritual eminence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse; it continues the narrative of conflict and divine justice.