Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

इतीदमुक्त्वा खङ्गेन केशवस्य समीपतः । अभिहत्य शिरः क्रुद्धश्चिच्छेद कृतवर्मणः

Transliteration

itīdamuktvā khaṅgena keśavasya samīpataḥ | abhihatya śiraḥ kruddhaściccheda kṛtavarmaṇaḥ

Translation

ਇਹ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ, ਕੇਸ਼ਵ ਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਖੜ੍ਹਾ ਹੋ ਕੇ, ਉਸ ਨੇ ਖੜਗ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਹਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ; ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਕ੍ਰਿਤਵਰਮਾ ਦਾ ਸਿਰ ਕੱਟ ਦਿੱਤਾ।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• इदम्: this (statement)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• खङ्गेन: with a sword
• खङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• केशवस्य: of Keśava
• केशवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• समीपतः: near, in proximity
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb)

• अभिहत्य: having struck
• अभिहत्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + अभि- (उपसर्ग) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (ल्यबन्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) / क्रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• चिच्छेद: cut off
• चिच्छेद: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृतवर्मणः: of Kṛtavarman
• कृतवर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Near Keśava, Sātyaki draws his sword and, in a flash of wrath, severs Kṛtavarman’s head; Keśava is close, poised to intervene, the moment frozen between dharma and violence.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Kṛtavarman
• Sātyaki (implied actor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When collective restraint collapses, violence multiplies rapidly—showing how kāla uses anger to complete destined outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the Māhātmya remembers it as the sacred locale where the Yādava line meets its fated conclusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative action verse.