Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गदामुशलशक्त्याद्यैर्वरप्रहरणैर्वृतः । पट्टिशं चान्वगात्पार्थ अस्त्रं पाशुपतं महत्

Transliteration

gadāmuśalaśaktyādyairvarapraharaṇairvṛtaḥ | paṭṭiśaṃ cānvagātpārtha astraṃ pāśupataṃ mahat

Translation

وكان مطوَّقًا بأسلحةٍ فاضلة كالهراوة (gadā) والمدقّ (muśala) والرمح (śakti)؛ وبعد فأسِ paṭṭiśa تبِع السلاحُ العظيم «باشوباتا» (Pāśupata)، يا ابنَ پṛthā.

Word by Word

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Sambandha (Associated item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• मुशल: pestle/club
• मुशल: Sambandha (Associated item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• शक्ति: spear/lance
• शक्ति: Sambandha (Associated item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• आद्यैः: with etcetera/and the rest
• आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); ‘आदि’ = ‘and others’ (etc.)

• वर: excellent
• वर: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural); विशेषण

• प्रहरणैः: weapons
• प्रहरणैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Past passive participle, Masculine, Nom, Singular)

• पट्टिशम्: battle-axe
• पट्टिशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्टिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्वगात्: followed/went after
• अन्वगात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Imperfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• अस्त्रम्: weapon
• अस्त्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• पाशुपतम्: Pāśupata (of Śiva)
• पाशुपतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); ‘पशुपति’-सम्बन्धि

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced); note: vocative 'pārtha' appears within the transmitted verse

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, personified Pāśupata missile advances in a solemn martial procession, surrounded by emblematic weapons—gadā, muśala, śakti—following the battle-axe; the air is charged with Śaiva power.

Characters & Entities

• Gadā
• Muśala
• Śakti (Spear)
• Paṭṭiśa
• Pāśupata Astra
• Pārtha (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s supreme power is portrayed as ordered and purposeful—divine force (astra) is sanctified when aligned with the protection of cosmic righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse centers on the hierarchy of Śaiva weapons, especially the Pāśupata astra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive catalogue of divine armaments.