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

凭借那股力量，直至今日，一切精通幻术的阿修罗仍得以自持而存；勇力宏大，他们依此而活——这确是他们至上的力量。

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.