Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अस्ति घोरो महावीर्यो दानवो बलदर्पितः । बाणो नामेति विख्यातो यस्य तत्त्रिपुरं महत्

Transliteration

asti ghoro mahāvīryo dānavo baladarpitaḥ | bāṇo nāmeti vikhyāto yasya tattripuraṃ mahat

Translation

يوجد دَانَفٌ مهيبٌ شديدُ البأس، مغترٌّ بقوّته، مشهورٌ باسم «بَانَا». وله المدينةُ العظيمةُ الواسعةُ المعروفةُ بـ«تْرِيبُورَا».

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• घोरः: terrible
• घोरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महावीर्यः: of great prowess
• महावीर्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानवः: a demon (Dānava)
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बलदर्पितः: proud because of strength
• बलदर्पितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्पित (कृदन्त; दर्प्/दृप् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participial adjective), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बाणः: Bāṇa (name)
• बाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Saṃjñā (Apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; indeclinable-like usage), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमनार्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विख्यातः: well-known
• विख्यातः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिपुरम्: Tripura (the three cities)
• त्रिपुरम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Devas (speaking to Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying Dānava-king Bāṇa, radiant with martial power, stands before the vast, otherworldly Tripura—an immense, fortified, luminous city suggesting motion and celestial engineering.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa
• Tripura
• Dānavas
• Śiva
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without dharma becomes arrogance; adharma crystallizes into formidable strongholds that require divine correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tripura is mentioned as a formidable demonic city, not a pilgrimage site; the broader setting remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse identifies the antagonist and his seat of power.