Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नाथः श्मशानस्यावन्त्या विघ्नकृन्निहतोऽभवत् । तं निहत्य पुनर्वीरो बर्बरीकः स्थितोऽभवत्

Transliteration

nāthaḥ śmaśānasyāvantyā vighnakṛnnihato'bhavat | taṃ nihatya punarvīro barbarīkaḥ sthito'bhavat

Translation

অৱন্তীৰ শ্মশানৰ নাথ, যি বিঘ্ন সৃষ্টিকাৰী আছিল, নিহত হ’ল। তাক বধ কৰি বীৰ বৰ্বৰীক পুনৰ অচল-অটলভাৱে দৃঢ় হৈ থিয় হ’ল।

Word by Word

• nāthaḥ: lord/master
• nāthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• śmaśānasya: of the cremation-ground
• śmaśānasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• āvantyāḥ: of Avantī (Ujjayinī)
• āvantyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avantī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• vighna-kṛt: maker of obstacles
• vighna-kṛt: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘कृत्’ (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vighnasya kartā)

• nihataḥ: slain
• nihataḥ: Karma (Object/patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-han (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhavat: became/was
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• nihatya: having killed
• nihatya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-han (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having slain’

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• vīraḥ: hero
• vīraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• barbarīkaḥ: Barbarīka
• barbarīkaḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: barbarīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: stood/was stationed
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhavat: became/was
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avantī-śmaśāna (Ujjayinī sacred cremation-ground precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Avanti’s cremation-ground, a fierce guardian-lord who creates obstacles lies slain; Barbarīka stands immovable amid ash, skulls, and smoldering pyres under a dark sky.

Characters & Entities

• Avanti
• Barbarīka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma prevails when obstacles (vighna) are confronted and removed; heroic action restores sacred order in revered places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avanti (the Ujjayinī/Ujjain sacred region) is invoked, specifically its śmaśāna setting, a potent Śaiva sacred geography motif.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.