Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

तान्दृष्ट्वा गरुडो धीमान्पलायनपरोऽभवत् । तत्स्थितो माधवो वेगाद्यथा गौः सिंहपीडिता

Transliteration

tāndṛṣṭvā garuḍo dhīmānpalāyanaparo'bhavat | tatsthito mādhavo vegādyathā gauḥ siṃhapīḍitā

Translation

ครั้นเห็นพวกนั้น ครุฑผู้มีปัญญาก็หมายจะหนีไป; ส่วนมาธวะที่ยืนอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น ถูกแรงฉับพลันกระทบจนสั่นสะท้าน—ดุจโคที่ถูกราชสีห์ข่มเหง

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन = Masculine, Accusative, Plural (pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव/gerund) = absolutive ‘having seen’

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पलायन-परः: bent on flight
• पलायन-परः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (उपपद) ‘पलायने परः’ = intent on fleeing

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु √भू)
• Form: लङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Imperfect, 3rd person singular (active)

• तत्-स्थितः: standing there
• तत्-स्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (√स्था क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘तत्र स्थितः’ = standing there

• माधवः: Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वेगात्: from speed, due to force
• वेगात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Masculine, Ablative, Singular (cause/source sense)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक) = indeclinable ‘as, like’

• गौः: a cow
• गौः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सिंह-पीडिता: oppressed by a lion
• सिंह-पीडिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (√पीड् क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘सिंहेन पीडिता’ = tormented by a lion

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa, wings half-spread, recoils as if to flee; Mādhava stands momentarily stunned, body angled back, the air charged with unseen Rudra-tejas; the simile of a cow before a lion is suggested through posture and gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa portrays even the mightiest as vulnerable when confronted by overpowering dharmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa, whose mahātmya uses vivid narrative to underscore the gravity of actions performed in sacred space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a narrative conclusion to the immediate confrontation.