Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तारकेण सुरश्रेष्ठ स्वर्गान्निर्वासिता वयम् । स्वयमिन्द्रः समभवद्वसवोऽन्ये तथा कृताः

Transliteration

tārakeṇa suraśreṣṭha svargānnirvāsitā vayam | svayamindraḥ samabhavadvasavo'nye tathā kṛtāḥ

Translation

'ข้าแต่ผู้ประเสริฐที่สุดในหมู่เทพ พวกข้าพระองค์ถูกตารกะขับไล่ออกจากสวรรค์ เขาตั้งตนเป็นพระอินทร์ และเหล่า วสุ ทั้งหลายก็ถูกบังคับให้รับใช้เขา'

Word by Word

• तारकेण: by Tāraka
• तारकेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; सम्बोधन (हे सुरश्रेष्ठ)

• स्वर्गात्: from heaven
• स्वर्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• निर्वासिताः: were expelled
• निर्वासिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्वासित (कृदन्त; निर्+वस्/वास् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्ता 'वयम्'

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वयंकर्तृत्ववाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समभवत्: became
• समभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्

• वसवः: the Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'वसवः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (in the same way/so)

• कृताः: were made (so)
• कृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'वसवः अन्ये' इत्यस्य विधेय

Speaker

Devas (speaking to Brahmā within Śiva’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, dispossessed, narrate to Brahmā: Tāraka enthroned as false Indra; the Vasus and other classes compelled into service—cosmic hierarchy distorted.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka (Tārakāsura)
• Devas
• Indra
• Vasus
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma imitates authority by usurpation; true sovereignty is upheld only when aligned with divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is cosmic in setting; the glorification is indirect through its placement in Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.