Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

पुष्पलावं लविष्यामि शिरस्तेऽहं वरासिना । अहं विष्णुरहं ब्रह्मा रुद्र इन्द्रो वरं वद

Transliteration

puṣpalāvaṃ laviṣyāmi śiraste'haṃ varāsinā | ahaṃ viṣṇurahaṃ brahmā rudra indro varaṃ vada

Translation

"ข้าจะตัดหัวเจ้าด้วยดาบอันประเสริฐเล่มนี้ เหมือนดั่งคนตัดดอกไม้ ข้านี่แหละคือพระวิษณุ ข้าคือพระพรหม พระรุทร และพระอินทร์—จงพูดมา ขอพรมาสิ!"

Word by Word

• puṣpa-lāvaṃ: a cutting/heap of flowers
• puṣpa-lāvaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + lāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पस्य लावः)

• laviṣyāmi: I will cut
• laviṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vara-asinā: with an excellent sword
• vara-asinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (असि-शब्दः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरः असिः)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (सम्बोधन-न, विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• varaṃ: a boon
• varaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vada: speak/say
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Hiraṇyakaśipu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hiraṇyakaśipu brandishes a gleaming sword, boasting of being all gods; the threat is vivid—cutting the head like slicing flowers. Prahlāda remains steadfast, the contrast stark.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Prahlāda
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Rudra
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-deification born of pride is a hallmark of adharma; it collapses before the true Lord’s sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is rhetorical intimidation and a deceptive offer of a ‘boon.’