Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

अवधीत्पितरं पुत्रः पिता पुत्रं च भामिनि । मत्तास्ते पर्यटंति स्म योधमानाः परस्परम्

Transliteration

avadhītpitaraṃ putraḥ pitā putraṃ ca bhāmini | mattāste paryaṭaṃti sma yodhamānāḥ parasparam

Translation

அழகியவளே! மகன் தந்தையை கொன்றான்; தந்தையும் மகனை கொன்றான். மதமயக்கத்தில் அவர்கள் அலைந்து, ஒருவரோடு ஒருவர் போரிட்டனர்.

Word by Word

• अवधीत्: killed
• अवधीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु; वध्—हिंसायाम्)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भामिनि: O lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन

• मत्ताः: intoxicated, frenzied
• मत्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन

• पर्यटन्ति: wandered about, roamed
• पर्यटन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-अट् (धातु; अट्—गत्यर्थ)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• स्म: indeed/used to (past marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: भूतार्थे स्म-प्रयोगः (particle indicating past/habitual narration)

• योधमानाः: fighting
• योधमानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युध् (धातु; युध्—सम्प्रहार) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच् (present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• परस्परम्: mutually, with one another
• परस्परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/ Ugraśravas), narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A questioning sage/assembly; verse addresses a feminine vocative 'bhāmini' within the embedded narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic battlefield-like grove at Prabhāsa: intoxicated Yādavas, eyes reddened, strike down even fathers and sons; dust, broken weapons, and fallen bodies under a harsh sun near the sea-coast tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (implied through narrative context)
• Yādava clans (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Loss of self-control destroys even family dharma; intoxication and rage overturn natural bonds and lead to ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Purāṇa situates this stark lesson as part of the tīrtha’s remembered power and warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a narrative admonition highlighting the consequences of mada (intoxication).