Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

बभूव प्रवरो देवि सर्वदेवभयंकरः । कामरूपी स लोकांस्त्रीन्वशीकृत्वाऽभवत्सुखी

Transliteration

babhūva pravaro devi sarvadevabhayaṃkaraḥ | kāmarūpī sa lokāṃstrīnvaśīkṛtvā'bhavatsukhī

Translation

தேவி, அவன் முதன்மையானவனாகி எல்லா தேவர்களுக்கும் அச்சமூட்டினான். விருப்பம்போல் வடிவம் எடுப்பவன் அவன், மூன்று உலகங்களையும் அடக்கி இன்பமாக வாழ்ந்தான்.

Word by Word

• बभूव: became, was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रवरः: excellent, foremost
• प्रवरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनम्

• सर्वदेवभयंकरः: terrifying to all the gods
• सर्वदेवभयंकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + देव + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषां देवानां भयङ्करः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• कामरूपी: able to assume forms at will
• कामरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: कामेन रूपं यस्य/यथेष्ट-रूपधारी); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनम्

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचनम्

• वशीकृत्वा: having brought under control
• वशीकृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वशी + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahiṣākha rises as the foremost dānava, terrifying the gods; he changes forms at will and subjugates the three worlds, enthroned in arrogant ease.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣākha (Dānava)
• the Devas
• three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked power and desire-driven control disrupt cosmic order, setting the stage for divine intervention to restore dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the verse advances the origin narrative that culminates in Yogeśvarī’s Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the asura’s dominance as narrative background.