Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

उक्तं शकटभेदं तु सुरासुरभयंकरम् । द्वादशाब्दं तु दुर्भिक्षं भविष्यति सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

uktaṃ śakaṭabhedaṃ tu surāsurabhayaṃkaram | dvādaśābdaṃ tu durbhikṣaṃ bhaviṣyati sudāruṇam

Translation

‘శకటభేదం’ జరుగుతుందని ప్రకటించబడింది—అది దేవాసురులకు భయంకరమైనది; మరియు పన్నెండు సంవత్సరాలు అత్యంత దారుణమైన దుర్భిక్షం ఉంటుంది.

Word by Word

• उक्तम्: was said/declared
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• शकटभेदम्: the ‘cart-splitting’ (event/omen)
• शकटभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट-भेद (प्रातिपदिक; शकट + भेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शकटस्य भेदः)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• सुरासुरभयंकरम्: terrifying to gods and demons
• सुरासुरभयंकरम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-असुर-भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + असुर + भयङ्कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सुरासुराणां भयङ्करम् = terrifying to gods and demons)

• द्वादशाब्दम्: for twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-अब्द (प्रातिपदिक; द्वादश + अब्द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश अब्दाः यस्य/यावत् = of twelve years / lasting twelve years)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be/occur
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दारुण (प्रातिपदिक; सु + दारुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (अत्यन्तं दारुणम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation of ‘Śakaṭabheda’—a terrifying omen—followed by imagery of a twelve-year famine: empty granaries, parched fields, anxious beings; yet a thread of hope through impending stotra and śānti.

Characters & Entities

• Śakaṭabheda
• Deva (Sura)
• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When collective hardship is foretold, the Purāṇic path emphasizes preparedness through dharma—prayer, charity, and protection of society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The calamity narrative functions within Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, directing readers toward efficacious worship associated with the sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly here; it describes the predicted crisis that leads into propitiatory practices and stotra-recitation.