Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा रथंतरे कल्पे रुरुर्नाम महासुरः । उत्पन्नः स महाकायः सर्वलोकभयावहः

Transliteration

purā rathaṃtare kalpe rururnāma mahāsuraḥ | utpannaḥ sa mahākāyaḥ sarvalokabhayāvahaḥ

Translation

Thuở xưa, trong kiếp Rathantara Kalpa, một đại asura tên Ruru đã xuất hiện—thân hình khổng lồ, gieo kinh hãi cho khắp các thế giới.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'formerly/once')

• रथंतरे: in (the) Rathantara (kalpa)
• रथंतरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• कल्पे: in the kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• रुरुः: Ruru (named being)
• रुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable particle indicating name: 'by name')

• महासुरः: a great asura
• महासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर = महा + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular); विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (great + asura)

• उत्पन्नः: arisen, born
• उत्पन्नः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + √पद्/√पन् (धातु) → उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'arisen/produced'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun: he)

• महाकायः: huge-bodied
• महाकायः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय = महा + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (having a huge body)

• सर्वलोकभयावहः: bringing fear to all worlds
• सर्वलोकभयावहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वलोकभयावह = सर्व + लोक + भय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः: 'bringing fear to all worlds'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The asura Ruru emerges in a primordial age: colossal body, dark aura, shaking the worlds; devas and gandharvas recoil in fear as the sky reddens.

Characters & Entities

• Rathantara Kalpa
• Ruru
• asura
• Devī Kumārikā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred history frames the need for divine protection: the rise of adharma (asuric terror) sets the stage for the Goddess’s safeguarding presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a backstory within the Devī Kumārikā context of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, preparing the māhātmya of that locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse begins the narrative background.