Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यत्रेल्वलं च वातापिं संहृत्य भगवान्मुनिः । मुक्त्वाऽपद्भ्यो ब्राह्मणांश्च तेभ्यः स्थानं ततो ददौ

Transliteration

yatrelvalaṃ ca vātāpiṃ saṃhṛtya bhagavānmuniḥ | muktvā'padbhyo brāhmaṇāṃśca tebhyaḥ sthānaṃ tato dadau

Translation

وہیں اس مبارک مُنی نے اِلول اور واتاپی کو ہلاک کیا؛ اور برہمنوں کو آفتوں سے رہائی دے کر پھر انہیں ایک محفوظ ٹھکانہ عطا فرمایا۔

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Relative locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• elvalam: Elvala
• elvalam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: elvala (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of saṃhṛtya)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• vātāpim: Vātāpi
• vātāpim: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vātāpi (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• saṃhṛtya: having slain/destroyed
• saṃhṛtya: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having destroyed/withdrawn)

• bhagavān: the venerable one
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य (subject)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to bhagavān

• muktvā: having freed
• muktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having released)

• apadbhyaḥ: from the waters
• apadbhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक; आपः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रयोगः), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन; अपादान (from water)

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म (object of muktvā)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान

• sthānam: a place; abode
• sthānam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of dadau)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereupon)

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing instruction/narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agastya-āśrama tīrtha (Ilvala–Vātāpi-śamana-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, radiant and composed, confronts Ilvala and Vātāpi; one demon is shown as a fearsome rakṣasa, the other as a deceptive figure; brāhmaṇas stand behind in distress turning to relief; the scene ends with Agastya indicating a safe settlement/abode for them near the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Ilvala
• Vātāpi
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ideal of ṛṣi-tejas: saintly power safeguards dharma and rescues the righteous from oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agastya’s āśrama region in Prabhāsa kṣetra, famed for his victory over Ilvala and Vātāpi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides the site’s sacred backstory (māhātmya) establishing its sanctity.