Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

प्रहारैर्वज्रसदृशैः कोपेन घटिकात्रयम् । पाणिभ्यां न स्पृशेद्यो वै वृषभस्य शिरस्तथा

Transliteration

prahārairvajrasadṛśaiḥ kopena ghaṭikātrayam | pāṇibhyāṃ na spṛśedyo vai vṛṣabhasya śirastathā

Translation

Mit schlagenden Hieben gleich dem Donnerkeil, im Zorn drei Ghaṭikās lang, vermochte er nicht einmal mit den Händen den Kopf Vṛṣabhas zu berühren – so groß war die Kraft des Stieres.

Word by Word

• प्रहारैः: with blows
• प्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• वज्रसदृशैः: like thunderbolts
• वज्रसदृशैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य सदृशाः) विशेषण (प्रहारैः)

• कोपेन: with/through anger
• कोपेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (हेतु/करण), एकवचन

• घटिकात्रयम्: (for) three ghaṭikās
• घटिकात्रयम्: Karma (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटिका + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कालपरिमाण), एकवचन; समासः द्विगु (त्रयो घटिकाः)

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (his) two hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), द्विवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध निपात (negation particle)

• स्पृशेत्: should/might touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• वृषभस्य: of Vṛṣabha
• वृषभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon rains down thunderbolt-like blows for three ghaṭikās; Vṛṣabha stands firm, head untouchable, aura of unshakable power.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabha (Nandin/Bull)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s power manifests through His vāhana and attendants; arrogance fails before divinely empowered guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred region is the textual frame, but the verse itself highlights Vṛṣabha’s invincibility rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses a time-measure (ghaṭikā) to intensify the narrative.