Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

योऽसौ देवि दशग्रीवः संबभूवारिमर्द्दनः । दमघोषस्य राजर्षेः पुत्रो विख्यातपौरुषः

Transliteration

yo'sau devi daśagrīvaḥ saṃbabhūvārimarddanaḥ | damaghoṣasya rājarṣeḥ putro vikhyātapauruṣaḥ

Translation

اے دیوی! وہی دَشگریو ‘دشمن کُچلنے والا’ بنا؛ وہ راجرشی دمگھوش کا بیٹا بن کر پیدا ہوا اور اپنی شجاعت کے سبب مشہور تھا۔

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Demonstrative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — निर्देशार्थ (that person)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• दशग्रीवः: the ten-necked one (Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य दश ग्रीवाः सः

• संबभूव: became/arose
• संबभूव: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• अरिमर्द्दनः: crusher of enemies
• अरिमर्द्दनः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरीन् + मर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासः: अरिणां मर्दनः

• दमघोषस्य: of Damaghoṣa
• दमघोषस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमघोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• राजर्षेः: of the royal sage
• राजर्षेः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular) — समासः: राजा च ऋषिः च (राजर्षिः)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विख्यातपौरुषः: renowned for valor
• विख्यातपौरुषः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात + पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासः: विख्यातं पौरुषं यस्य सः (अर्थे बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषण-प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like narrator reveals to Devī the startling identity shift: Daśagrīva reappears as the Caidya hero, son of Damaghoṣa—prowess unchanged, destiny redirected toward a new divine confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Daśagrīva (Rāvaṇa)
• Damaghoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fame, valor, and royal birth do not guarantee dharmic direction; identity shifts across births, but tendencies must be purified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya framework; this verse focuses on lineage rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a genealogical identification.