Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

हिरण्याक्षसुताः पंच विक्रांताः सुमहाबलाः । अन्धकः शकुनिश्चैव कालनाभस्तथैव च

Transliteration

hiraṇyākṣasutāḥ paṃca vikrāṃtāḥ sumahābalāḥ | andhakaḥ śakuniścaiva kālanābhastathaiva ca

Translation

हिरण्याक्षस्य पञ्च पुत्राः विक्रान्ताः सुमहाबलाः—अन्धकः शकुनिश्चैव तथा कालनाभ एव च।

Word by Word

• हिरण्याक्षसुताः: sons of Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षसुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyākṣa-suta (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्याक्ष + सुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Saṅkhyā (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (cardinal numeral, indeclinable)

• विक्रान्ताः: valiant; mighty
• विक्रान्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-kram (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सुमहाबलाः: of very great strength
• सुमहाबलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-mahā-bala (प्रातिपदिक; सु + महा + बल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (बहुबलः इति) with उपसर्ग/उपपद 'सु' intensifier

• अन्धकः: Andhaka (name)
• अन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शकुनिः: Śakuni (name)
• शकुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakuni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• कालनाभः: Kālanābha (name)
• कालनाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla-nābha (प्रातिपदिक; काल + नाभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (determinative; name)

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya/Anvaya (Also/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as 'mahādevi' in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Purāṇic genealogical tableau: Hiraṇyākṣa enthroned in an asura court, with five powerful sons—Andhaka, Śakuni, Kālanābha, Mahānābha, Bhūtasaṃtāpana—standing as warrior-princes; sages narrate from the side, indicating lineage scrolls.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Andhaka
• Śakuni
• Kālanābha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Strength and fame in cosmic history are not ultimate; the Purāṇas list such powers to underscore that all might is subordinate to the moral-cosmic order upheld by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the chapter’s setting; this verse itself is not a tīrtha-glorification passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual or vrata is prescribed here.