Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

क्व यास्यति वराकी सा मद्बलैः परिपीडिता । शस्त्रास्त्रवर्जितं सैन्यं वनपालपदानुगम्

Transliteration

kva yāsyati varākī sā madbalaiḥ paripīḍitā | śastrāstravarjitaṃ sainyaṃ vanapālapadānugam

Translation

นางผู้น่าสงสารนั้นจะไปแห่งใดเล่า เมื่อถูกกองกำลังของเรากดดันอย่างหนัก? กองทัพนี้ปราศจากศัสตราและอาวุธ และเคลื่อนตามแนวทางของผู้พิทักษ์พงไพร.

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वराकी: poor (helpless) woman
• वराकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे (genitive sense 'my') उपपद-पूर्वपद रूप; समासे पूर्वपद

• बलैः: by forces/troops
• बलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• परिपीडिता: oppressed, harassed
• परिपीडिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• शस्त्र: weapon (hand weapon)
• शस्त्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• अस्त्र: missile weapon
• अस्त्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• वर्जितम्: devoid of, lacking
• वर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; 'सैन्यम्' इति विशेषण

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• वनपाल: forest-guard
• वनपाल: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (forest-guard)

• पद: footstep, track
• पद: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• अनुगम्: following
• अनुगम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (खल्/अ-प्रत्ययान्त, adjectival: 'following'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; 'सैन्यम्' इति विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa; contextual royal speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense chase without weapons: the ‘poor woman’ (implied) is pressed by forces, yet the troop carries no arms and follows a forest-guard’s lead, suggesting controlled pursuit in a sacred forest.

Characters & Entities

• vanapāla (forest-guard)
• bhojarāja (implied in surrounding verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames worldly power as transient and sets up a marvel that will reveal a deeper sacred order governing events in the holy region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, within the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated in this verse; it is narrative groundwork for the māhātmya.