Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दक्षयज्ञस्य विध्वंसे वीरभद्रसमन्विता । भद्रकाली महादेवी दक्षयज्ञविनाशिनी

Transliteration

dakṣayajñasya vidhvaṃse vīrabhadrasamanvitā | bhadrakālī mahādevī dakṣayajñavināśinī

Translation

தக்ஷ யாகம் அழிந்த வேளையில், வீரபத்ரனுடன் கூடிய பத்திரகாளி மகாதேவி தோன்றினாள்; அவளே தக்ஷயாகத்தை நாசம் செய்தவள்।

Word by Word

• दक्षयज्ञस्य: of Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• दक्षयज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष-यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—दक्षस्य यज्ञः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विध्वंसे: at the destruction
• विध्वंसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वीरभद्रसमन्विता: accompanied by Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रसमन्विता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीरभद्र-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; वीरभद्र + समन्वित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भद्रकाली/महादेवी); समासः—वीरभद्रेण समन्विता (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भद्रकाली: Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• महादेवी: the great goddess
• महादेवी: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भद्रकाली इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• दक्षयज्ञविनाशिनी: destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• दक्षयज्ञविनाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष-यज्ञ-विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; दक्ष + यज्ञ + विनाशिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् भद्रकाली/महादेवी; समासः—दक्षयज्ञस्य विनाशिनी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (context from previous verse continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadrakālī (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic mythic tableau: Bhadrakālī with Vīrabhadra amid the shattered arena of Dakṣa’s yajña—broken pillars, overturned altars, fleeing priests—yet the goddess radiates righteous purpose; flames and storm-clouds frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrakālī
• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa
• Dakṣa-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma in ritual (yajña without reverence and right intent) collapses; divine power restores cosmic order through Bhadrakālī and Vīrabhadra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhadrakālī’s seat in Prabhāsakṣetra, whose sanctity is linked to the Dakṣa-yajña episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides mythic identification and theological context for the shrine.