Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

दुःखवध्यांस्ततो ज्ञात्वा विष्णुः कमललोचनः । सस्मार भैरवीं शक्तिं महामायां महाप्रभाम्

Transliteration

duḥkhavadhyāṃstato jñātvā viṣṇuḥ kamalalocanaḥ | sasmāra bhairavīṃ śaktiṃ mahāmāyāṃ mahāprabhām

Translation

Então Viṣṇu, de olhos de lótus, percebendo que eram difíceis de matar, recordou e invocou o Poder de Bhairavī—Mahāmāyā, radiante de supremo esplendor.

Word by Word

• दुःखवध्यान्: those who are to be slain with difficulty / hard to kill
• दुःखवध्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + वध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुःखेन वध्याः = दुःखवध्याः)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-आधारित अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (ततः = then/thereafter)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having known’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कमललोचनः: lotus-eyed
• कमललोचनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमल + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कमलवत् लोचनं यस्य)

• सस्मार: remembered, called to mind
• सस्मार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भैरवीं: Bhairavī (goddess)
• भैरवीं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्तिम्: power, divine energy
• शक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महामायाम्: Great Māyā
• महामायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महती माया)

• महाप्रभाम्: of great radiance
• महाप्रभाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महती प्रभा यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairavī/Mahāmāyā-sannidhi in Prabhāsa (invocation-origin)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, lotus-eyed, pauses amid war, closes his eyes in inward remembrance; from the luminous space of his smaraṇa arises Bhairavī-Śakti—dark-radiant, awe-inspiring, yet benevolent.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Bhairavī Śakti
• Mahāmāyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When ordinary means fail, surrender and invocation of Divine Śakti brings decisive grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode prepares the ground for a localized Goddess manifestation within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, remembrance/invocation (smaraṇa) of the Goddess; explicit rites appear in later verses.