Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा मातुः क्षतान्यंगे त्रिःसप्त मनुजाधिप । शस्त्रजातानि विप्राणां समाजे समुपस्थिते

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā mātuḥ kṣatānyaṃge triḥsapta manujādhipa | śastrajātāni viprāṇāṃ samāje samupasthite

Translation

اے انسانوں کے حاکم، ماں کے بدن پر زخم دیکھ کر اس نے ‘تین بار سات’ کا عزم کیا؛ اور برہمنوں کی سبھا میں ہتھیاروں کے مجموعے جمع کر کے تیار کیے گئے۔

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दृश्; अर्थे: ‘having seen’

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षतानि: wounds
• क्षतानि: Karma (Object of ‘seeing’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from क्षद्/क्षत् ‘to wound’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• अङ्गे: on the body/limb
• अङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• त्रिःसप्त: twenty-one
• त्रिःसप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय) + सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numerical compound), अव्ययपूर्वपद; संख्या-विशेषण; (अर्थः 3×7=21)

• मनुजाधिप: O lord of men (king)
• मनुजाधिप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मनुजानाम् अधिपः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शस्त्रजातानि: collections of weapons
• शस्त्रजातानि: Karma (Object/thing referred)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (शस्त्राणां जातानि/समूहः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• समाजे: in the assembly
• समाजे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• समुपस्थिते: when (it was) present/assembled
• समुपस्थिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘समुपस्थित’ = ‘present/assembled’; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (समाजे समुपस्थिते = locative absolute)

Speaker

Pulastya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (manujādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma sees his mother’s wounded body; grief turns to fierce resolve—‘three times seven’. In a brāhmaṇa assembly, weapons are brought forth and arranged, as if sanctified by collective witness.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Renukā (implied mother)
• Brāhmaṇas (vipras)
• Weapons (śastra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Injury to the innocent is presented as a catalyst for a solemn vow, framed within dharmic outrage and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Rāmatīrtha-centered narrative, though it describes the backstory of the vow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references the triḥsapta resolve and the gathering of weapons.