Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

भगनेत्रे तथोत्पाट्य कराग्रेणैव लीलया । निहत्य मुष्टिना दंडैः सप्ताश्वं च न्यपातयत्

Transliteration

bhaganetre tathotpāṭya karāgreṇaiva līlayā | nihatya muṣṭinā daṃḍaiḥ saptāśvaṃ ca nyapātayat

Translation

اس نے بھگ کے دونوں نین انگلیوں کی نوک سے گویا کھیل ہی کھیل میں نوچ لیے؛ پھر مٹھی سے دَṇḍa کو مار گرايا اور سَپتاشوَ کو بھی پچھاڑ دیا۔

Word by Word

• भगनेत्रे: Bhaga’s two eyes
• भगनेत्रे: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भगस्य नेत्रे)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/likewise)

• उत्पाट्य: having torn out
• उत्पाट्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पट्/पाट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having torn out’; उपसर्ग: उत्-

• कराग्रेण: with the tip of (his) hand
• कराग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करस्य अग्रेण)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/just)

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Manner/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• निहत्य: having slain/struck down
• निहत्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having struck down/killed’; उपसर्ग: नि-

• मुष्टिना: with (his) fist
• मुष्टिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• दण्डैः: with staffs/clubs
• दण्डैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सप्ताश्वम्: the seven-horsed one (Sun)
• सप्ताश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (सप्त अश्वाः यस्य)

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

• न्यपातयत्: he made (him) fall, felled
• न्यपातयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि- (न्य्-आदेश)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-led assembly (frame-typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaṇa-lord in fierce yet playful dominance plucks out Bhaga’s eyes with fingertip ease, strikes Daṇḍa down with a clenched fist, and fells Saptāśva; devas recoil amid a sacrificial or celestial battlefield atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Bhaga
• Daṇḍa
• Saptāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa dramatizes the collapse of ego-driven ritual power; divine retribution is swift when dharma is violated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra (Prabhāsa), with the episode functioning as a mahātmya-style glorification through sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a mythic narrative connected to a sacrificial context.