Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

माहिष्मतीं पुरीं रामो जगाम क्रोधमूर्छितः । छित्त्वा बाहुवनं तस्य हत्वा तं क्षत्रियाधमम्

Transliteration

māhiṣmatīṃ purīṃ rāmo jagāma krodhamūrchitaḥ | chittvā bāhuvanaṃ tasya hatvā taṃ kṣatriyādhamam

Translation

Rāma (Paraśurāma), vom Zorn wie betäubt, ging zur Stadt Māhiṣmatī; und nachdem er den Wald seiner Arme abgehauen hatte, erschlug er jenen niederträchtigsten Kṣatriya.

Word by Word

• माहिष्मतीम्: Māhiṣmatī
• माहिष्मतीम्: Karma (Object; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहिष्मती (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); माहिष्मतीम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य (appositional)

• रामः: Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• रामः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular, Perfect, Parasmaipada)

• क्रोधमूर्छितः: faint/deranged with anger
• क्रोधमूर्छितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्छित (√मूर्छ् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्रोधेन मूर्छितः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having cut)

• बाहुवनम्: the multitude/forest of arms
• बाहुवनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बाहूनां वनम्/समूहः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having slain)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative, Singular)

• क्षत्रियाधमम्: the vilest kṣatriya
• क्षत्रियाधमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अधमः क्षत्रियः); पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); तम् इत्यस्य विशेषण (appositional)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māhiṣmatī (Haihaya-purī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma storms into Māhiṣmatī, a fortified river-city; he cuts down the ‘bāhu-vana’—a metaphorical forest of arms/warriors—and slays the kṣatriya tyrant.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Māhiṣmatī
• Kārtavīrya Arjuna (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores how uncontrolled anger drives violent outcomes, framing the episode as a grave turning point in the moral landscape of the age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māhiṣmatī is named as the key locale in this verse, situated within the broader sacred-geography storytelling of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it narrates a martial action that leads into later tīrtha-associated consequences.