Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तत्र प्रवर्त्तिते युद्धे तलमाहेन्द्रयोस्तयोः

Transliteration

tatra pravarttite yuddhe talamāhendrayostayoḥ

Translation

Doon, nang magsimulang umusad ang labanan, sa pagitan ng dalawang iyon—si Tala at si Mahendra—

Word by Word

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

• प्रवर्तिते: when it had begun
• प्रवर्तिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + नि + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘प्रवर्तित’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; “when (it was) set in motion/started”

• युद्धे: in the battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तल: Tala (proper name)
• तल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• माहेन्द्रयोः: of (Tala and) Mahendra
• माहेन्द्रयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन; “of Tala and Mahendra” (dual genitive)

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The duel begins: Tala and Mahendra close distance, weapons raised; dust and light swirl. The sacred ground beneath them is subtly marked—lotus-like patterns or a faint temple silhouette in the far background.

Characters & Entities

• Tala
• Mahendra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya frames sacred origins through decisive encounters that establish divine protection over the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically the tradition surrounding Tala-svāmin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.