Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सेनानीः कार्तिकेयश्च राक्षसश्च महाहनुः । तत्र दीर्घनखोनाम दानवः सुप्रतिष्ठितः

Transliteration

senānīḥ kārtikeyaśca rākṣasaśca mahāhanuḥ | tatra dīrghanakhonāma dānavaḥ supratiṣṭhitaḥ

Translation

ณ ที่นั้นมีจอมทัพการ์ติเกยะ และยักษ์รากษสชื่อมหาหนุ อีกทั้งมีอสูรทานวะนามทีรฆนขะประจำมั่นอย่างมั่นคง

Word by Word

• सेनानीः: the commander
• सेनानीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ईकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक (commander)

• कार्तिकेयः: Kārttikeya
• कार्तिकेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; देवविशेषः (Skanda)

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

• राक्षसः: a rākṣasa (demon)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• महाहनुः: Mahāhanu (great-jawed one)
• महाहनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-हनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘great-jawed’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• दीर्घनखः: Dīrghanakha (long-nailed one)
• दीर्घनखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ-नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘long-nailed’)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (quotative/name-marker: ‘named’)

• दानवः: a dānava (demon)
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुप्रतिष्ठितः: well-established
• सुप्रतिष्ठितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-प्रति-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘well-established/firmly stationed’

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-inquirer/ṛṣi audience (mahatmya interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Dvārakā’s eastern approach, a mythic tableau of stationed guardians: Kārtikeya as senānī with spear and peacock emblem, alongside formidable rākṣasa and dānava figures, all posed as sentinels at a city-threshold by the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Mahāhanu
• Dīrghanakha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even formidable beings are integrated into dharmic order—when stationed for protection, their power serves the sanctity of the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, depicted as guarded by major divine forces including Kārtikeya (Skanda).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse continues the enumerative mapping of protectors relevant to the worship sequence.