Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

भैरवाकारमास्थाय कल्पान्ते स हरेद्यतः । विश्वं समग्रं देवेशि तेनासौ भैरवः स्मृतः

Transliteration

bhairavākāramāsthāya kalpānte sa haredyataḥ | viśvaṃ samagraṃ deveśi tenāsau bhairavaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

اے دیویِ دیویش! کلپ کے اختتام پر وہ بھیرَو کا روپ دھار کر پورے جگت کو سمیٹ لیتا ہے؛ اسی لیے وہ ‘بھیرَو’ کے نام سے یاد کیا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• bhairava-ākāram: the form of Bhairava
• bhairava-ākāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-सम्भवः: ‘भैरवः ākāraḥ’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative sg)

• āsthāya: having assumed
• āsthāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having assumed/taken’

• kalpānte: at the end of the kalpa
• kalpānte: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa-anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative sg)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative sg)

• haret: takes away/destroys
• haret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/optative-like injunctive in context), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (would take away/destroys)

• yataḥ: because/whereby
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे (causal relative: ‘because/from whom/whereby’)

• viśvam: the universe
• viśvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative sg)

• samagram: entire/complete
• samagram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter acc sg adjective)

• deveśi: O goddess (lady of gods)
• deveśi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (address)

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (instrumental sg: ‘therefore/by that’)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative sg demonstrative)

• bhairavaḥ: Bhairava
• bhairavaḥ: Pratipādya (Predicate nominative/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative sg)

• smṛtaḥ: is called/remembered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative verbal notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘is called/remembered’ (PPP used predicatively)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced; addressing Devī as “deveśi/mahādevi” in surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairaveśvara (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī; addressed as Deveśī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the edge of cosmic night, Shiva assumes a terrifying Bhairava form; the universe folds back into him like sparks into fire, while Devī listens in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Rudra
• Devī (addressed as deveśi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s Bhairava aspect represents sovereign power over time and dissolution, teaching awe, surrender, and reverence for cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, linking Bhairava’s greatness to the Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it provides a theological etymology and praise of Bhairava.