Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पुरा दैत्यगणा रौद्रा बभूवुर्वरवर्णिनि । कालकेया इति ख्यातास्त्रैलोक्योच्छेदकारकाः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | purā daityagaṇā raudrā babhūvurvaravarṇini | kālakeyā iti khyātāstrailokyocchedakārakāḥ

Translation

自在天说道：“久远以前，噢肤色明丽者，曾兴起凶猛的达那婆众，名为迦罗迦耶（Kālakeya）——他们是欲令三界覆灭的毁灭者。”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• दैत्यगणाः: groups of demons
• दैत्यगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (daityānāṃ gaṇaḥ)

• रौद्राः: fierce/terrible
• रौद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier)

• बभूवुः: became
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned one
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरवर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (vara-varṇinī = excellent-complexioned)

• कालकेयाः: Kālakeyas (a demon clan)
• कालकेयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इति: thus/as
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्याताः: were known/called
• ख्याताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (known/called)

• त्रैलोक्योच्छेदकारकाः: destroyers of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्योच्छेदकारकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (trailokyasya uccheda-kārakāḥ = makers of the destruction of the three worlds)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, tumultuous emergence of Kālakeya hosts—armored, fierce, with weapons—looming over the three worlds; Śiva narrates to Devī, who listens with concern.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Daityas
• Kālakeyas
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes violent and world-threatening, divine protection and restoration of cosmic order inevitably arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is situated within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, providing the backstory for later sanctification of places in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the antagonists of the episode.