Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

तेनैते माययाऽद्यापि सर्वे मायाविदोऽसुराः । वर्त्तयंति महावीर्यास्तदेतेषां परं बलम्

Transliteration

tenaite māyayā'dyāpi sarve māyāvido'surāḥ | varttayaṃti mahāvīryāstadeteṣāṃ paraṃ balam

Translation

اسی قوت کے سبب آج بھی وہ سب اسور، جو مایا کے فن میں ماہر ہیں، اپنا گزر بسر کرتے ہیں۔ عظیم دلیری والے ہیں؛ یہی ان کی اعلیٰ ترین طاقت ہے۔

Word by Word

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मायया: by illusion/magic
• मायया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अद्यापि: even now; still
• अद्यापि: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालबोधक-अव्यय (adverb: even today/still)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मायाविदः: knowers of magic
• मायाविदः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (मायां वेत्ति इति)

• असुराः: Asuras
• असुराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वर्त्तयन्ति: cause to proceed/maintain; practice
• वर्त्तयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु) (णिजन्त/causative: वर्त्तय-)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• महावीर्याः: of great power
• महावीर्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् वीर्यम् यस्य)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता/subject of equational clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tableau showing Asuras ‘even today’ drawing vigor from a shimmering, smoke-like milk of illusion; their eyes gleam with craft and confidence, while the background suggests the timeless shore of Prabhāsa where past and present overlap.

Characters & Entities

• Asura
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power rooted in illusion can sustain worldly might, but it is portrayed as a dependent strength—maintained by a particular enabling force rather than true dharmic stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya section, situating the teaching in the pilgrimage landscape of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it is narrative-theological context.