Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । वृष्ण्यन्धकविनाशाय मुशलं घोरमायसम् । वासुदेवस्य दायादः सांबोऽयं जनयिष्यति

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | vṛṣṇyandhakavināśāya muśalaṃ ghoramāyasam | vāsudevasya dāyādaḥ sāṃbo'yaṃ janayiṣyati

Translation

ரிஷிகள் கூறினர்—விருஷ்ணி, அந்தகர்களின் அழிவிற்காக, வாசுதேவனின் வம்சத்தவன் இந்த சாம்பன் கொடிய இரும்பு உலக்கையைப் பிறக்கச் செய்வான்.

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• vṛṣṇi-andhaka-vināśāya: for the destruction of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas
• vṛṣṇi-andhaka-vināśāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + andhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वृष्ण्यन्धकयोः विनाशाय)

• muśalam: a club/pestle
• muśalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying muśalam)

• āyasam: iron (made of iron)
• āyasam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (made of iron)

• vāsudevasya: of Vāsudeva
• vāsudevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• dāyādaḥ: heir, descendant
• dāyādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāyāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• sāmbaḥ: Sāmba
• sāmbaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• janayiṣyati: will produce / will beget
• janayiṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) ‘janay-’

Speaker

Ṛṣis (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yādava party / Devī addressed; audience within the Prabhāsa narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages pronounce the fateful line: Sāmba will produce a terrifying iron pestle destined to destroy the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas; the air feels heavy as destiny crystallizes.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣṇis
• Andhakas
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Sāmba
• Muśala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect toward ascetics can turn into a destiny-shaping curse; dharma protects only the disciplined.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a pivotal tīrtha where the Yādava/Vṛṣṇi end is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse delivers the sages’ prophetic curse.