Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततः कालनिमेषार्धं दृष्ट्वैक्यं त्रिपुरस्य च । त्रिपर्वणा त्रिशल्येन ततस्तान्यवसादयत्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālanimeṣārdhaṃ dṛṣṭvaikyaṃ tripurasya ca | triparvaṇā triśalyena tatastānyavasādayat

Translation

Dann, als Er sah, wie die dreifache Tripura in nur einem halben Lidschlag eins wurde, traf Er sie mit einem Pfeil von drei Gelenken und drei Widerhaken und stürzte sie ins Verderben.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = 'then/from there'

• काल: time
• काल: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• निमेष: wink; moment
• निमेष: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• अर्धम्: half (a moment)
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: काल-निमेष-अर्धम् (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: 'of a time-wink' = half a moment)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; 'having seen'

• ऐक्यम्: unity; oneness
• ऐक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रिपुरस्य: of Tripura
• त्रिपुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/संबन्धक)

• त्रिपर्वणा: with the three-jointed (weapon/implement)
• त्रिपर्वणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पर्वन्), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः: त्रि-पर्वन् = 'three-jointed/three-segmented'

• त्रिशल्येन: with the three-barbed (weapon)
• त्रिशल्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः: त्रि-शल्य = 'three-barbed/three-spiked'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तानि: those (things/beings)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अवसादयत्: he caused (them) to sink; subdued
• अवसादयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage: 'made sink/caused to fall into dejection'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bharata-uttama (a Bharata prince/hero addressed in the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Tripurāntaka sights the three aerial cities aligning into one; in a half-blink he releases a single tri-jointed, tri-barbed arrow that collapses the blazing fortress into ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Tripura
• Śiva’s threefold arrow

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma ‘converges’ into a single hardened force, divine justice can dissolve it in an instant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the passage is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the destruction of Tripura with a symbolic threefold arrow.