Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

न हुतं पाचयत्यग्निर्वृष्ण्यंधकपुरस्कृतम् । समंतात्प्रत्यवाशंत रासभा दारुणस्वनाः

Transliteration

na hutaṃ pācayatyagnirvṛṣṇyaṃdhakapuraskṛtam | samaṃtātpratyavāśaṃta rāsabhā dāruṇasvanāḥ

Translation

ବୃଷ୍ଣି ଓ ଅନ୍ଧକମାନେ ଅର୍ପିତ ହବିଷ୍ୟକୁ ଅଗ୍ନି ଯଥାଯଥ ଭାବେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁନଥିଲା; ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ ଦିଗରେ ଗଧାମାନେ କଠୋର ଭୟଙ୍କର ସ୍ୱରେ ରେଙ୍କି ପ୍ରତିଧ୍ୱନି କରୁଥିଲେ—ବିପଦର ଅପଶକୁନ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• hutam: the oblation/offering
• hutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय from √hu)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• pācayati: cooks/digests/burns
• pācayati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• agniḥ: fire
• agniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• vṛṣṇyandhakapuraskṛtam: (oblation) offered with the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas at the forefront/led by them
• vṛṣṇyandhakapuraskṛtam: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛṣṇi + andhaka + puraskṛta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √kṛ with puras-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः vṛṣṇi-andhaka (द्वन्द्व/समाहार as a group-name) + puraskṛta (तत्पुरुष: ‘having the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas in front/led by’); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘hutam’)

• samantāt: from all sides
• samantāt: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• pratyavāśanta: brayed back/responded with braying
• pratyavāśanta: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vāś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; उपसर्गः prati-

• rāsabhāḥ: donkeys
• rāsabhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāsabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• dāruṇasvanāḥ: having dreadful sounds
• dāruṇasvanāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa + svana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः dāruṇa + svana (कर्मधारय); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘rāsabhāḥ’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction for Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial fire sputters and refuses to take the oblations; smoke curls back; around the ritual ground, donkeys bray in all directions under a darkened sky, startling the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vṛṣṇi
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma declines, even sacred rites show obstruction; one should read the signs, become humble, and seek purification through rightful remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context is moving toward Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the famed tīrtha on the western coast, as the remedy for impending misfortune.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription is stated here directly; it presents portents (failed oblations and ominous sounds) that motivate later expiatory acts and pilgrimage.