Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततो भयाकुलाः सर्वे बभूवुर्जगती तले । न च कश्चिद्विजानाति दैत्यानां तु विचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

tato bhayākulāḥ sarve babhūvurjagatī tale | na ca kaścidvijānāti daityānāṃ tu viceṣṭitam

Translation

Bấy giờ, muôn loài trên mặt đất đều rúng động vì sợ hãi. Và không ai có thể biết được những mưu hành kín đáo của bọn Daitya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रभव-अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/thereupon/from that’)

• भयाकुलाः: distressed with fear
• भयाकुलाः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आकुल (प्रातिपदिक; भय + आकुल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; तत्पुरुष (भयेन आकुलाः) विशेषण (सर्वे)

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

• बभूवुः: became
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — they became

• जगती: of the earth
• जगती: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (सम्बन्ध) — Genitive singular (of the earth/world)

• तले: on the surface
• तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• विजानाति: knows
• विजानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — knows/understands

• दैत्यानाम्: of the demons (Daityas)
• दैत्यानाम्: Sambandha (Of the Daityas/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• तु: however/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक

• विचेष्टितम्: the deed/behavior
• विचेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + चेष्ट् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘that which was done/behavior’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implicit refuge against world-fear)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide tableau of villages and hermitages under a darkened sky; people huddled, fires unlit, faces anxious; shadowy daitya presence suggested but not shown clearly, emphasizing secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Bhūmi (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma spreads covertly, society falls into fear and confusion; clarity returns only through dharma and divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the broader sacred setting of this māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse describes the social and spiritual atmosphere under threat.