Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

भैरवाभरणो नेता सदा घूर्णितलोचनः । प्रवृत्ततंद्रवन्मूढो वध्यश्चासावितस्ततः

Transliteration

bhairavābharaṇo netā sadā ghūrṇitalocanaḥ | pravṛttataṃdravanmūḍho vadhyaścāsāvitastataḥ

Translation

“بھیرَو کے سے زیوروں سے آراستہ سردار، جس کی آنکھیں ہمیشہ گھومتی رہیں—گویا غنودگی میں مبتلا ایک گمراہ—اسی لیے وہ سزا اور قتل کے لائق ٹھہرا۔”

Word by Word

• भैरवाभरणः: terribly adorned
• भैरवाभरणः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भैरवस्य आभरणम्/भैरव-आभरणः = dreadful-ornamented)

• नेता: leader, guide
• नेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• घूर्णितलोचनः: with rolling eyes
• घूर्णितलोचनः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घूर्णित + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (घूर्णिते लोचने यस्य)

• प्रवृत्ततन्द्रवत्: as if seized by drowsiness
• प्रवृत्ततन्द्रवत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त + तन्द्र + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/तुल्यवाचक ‘वत्’ अन्त, प्रथमा-एकवचन (पुं); तत्पुरुष-भावः (प्रवृत्ता तन्द्रा इव)

• मूढः: confused/foolish (man)
• मूढः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणवत्

• वध्यः: to be executed
• वध्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—वधार्हः (fit to be killed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इतस्ततः: here and there
• इतस्ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् + ततस् (अव्यय-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय-समाहार (indeclinable pair), अर्थः—इतः च ततः च (here and there)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Sūta’s recitation in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A swaggering leader wearing Bhairava-like ornaments, eyes rolling in intoxicated stupor, is denounced as deserving punishment; the crowd recoils.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External religious appearance cannot mask adharma; delusion and harmful conduct lead to rightful consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the setting; its māhātmya teaches dharma through episodes of fall and correction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes character and karmic-legal consequence.