Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

योऽसौ देवि दशग्रीवः संबभूवारिमर्द्दनः । दमघोषस्य राजर्षेः पुत्रो विख्यातपौरुषः

Transliteration

yo'sau devi daśagrīvaḥ saṃbabhūvārimarddanaḥ | damaghoṣasya rājarṣeḥ putro vikhyātapauruṣaḥ

Translation

ਹੇ ਦੇਵੀ! ਉਹੀ ਦਸਗ੍ਰੀਵ ‘ਵੈਰੀ-ਮਰਦਨ’ ਬਣਿਆ; ਉਹ ਰਾਜਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਦਮਘੋਸ਼ ਦਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਜਨਮਿਆ, ਅਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਰਾਕ੍ਰਮ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Demonstrative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — निर्देशार्थ (that person)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• दशग्रीवः: the ten-necked one (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य दश ग्रीवाः सः

• संबभूव: became/arose
• संबभूव: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• अरिमर्द्दनः: crusher of enemies
• अरिमर्द्दनः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरीन् + मर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासः: अरिणां मर्दनः

• दमघोषस्य: of Damaghoṣa
• दमघोषस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमघोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• राजर्षेः: of the royal sage
• राजर्षेः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular) — समासः: राजा च ऋषिः च (राजर्षिः)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विख्यातपौरुषः: renowned for valor
• विख्यातपौरुषः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात + पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासः: विख्यातं पौरुषं यस्य सः (अर्थे बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषण-प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like narrator reveals to Devī the startling identity shift: Daśagrīva reappears as the Caidya hero, son of Damaghoṣa—prowess unchanged, destiny redirected toward a new divine confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• Damaghoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fame, valor, and royal birth do not guarantee dharmic direction; identity shifts across births, but tendencies must be purified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya framework; this verse focuses on lineage rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a genealogical identification.