Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

चक्रं करेण संगृह्य गदाचक्रधरः प्रभुः । शार्ङ्गं च मुशलं सीरं करैर्गृह्य जनार्दनः

Transliteration

cakraṃ kareṇa saṃgṛhya gadācakradharaḥ prabhuḥ | śārṅgaṃ ca muśalaṃ sīraṃ karairgṛhya janārdanaḥ

Translation

Den Diskus in der Hand ergreifend, nahm der Herr—Träger von Keule und Diskus—auch Śārṅga (seinen Bogen), den Mörserkeul (muśala) und den Pflug (sīra) in seine Hände; so rüstete sich Janārdana zum Schutz des Dharma.

Word by Word

• चक्रम्: discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करेण: with (his) hand
• करेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संगृह्य: having taken up
• संगृह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); उपसर्ग: सम्; धातु: ग्रह्

• गदाचक्रधरः: the bearer of mace and discus
• गदाचक्रधरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + चक्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्वन्द्वपूर्वक षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गदां च चक्रं च धरति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; गदाचक्रधरः इत्यस्य अपि विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• शार्ङ्गम्: Śārṅga (the bow)
• शार्ङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; धनुर्नाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• मुशलम्: club/pestle
• मुशलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सीरम्: plough
• सीरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करैः: with (his) hands
• करैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund) का वैदिक/छान्दस रूप; अर्थतः 'गृहित्वा'; धातु: ग्रह्

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विष्णोर्नाम

Speaker

Narrator (third-person narration within the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana arms himself: Sudarśana cakra, gadā, Śārṅga bow, muśala, and halāyudha (plough)—a composite, awe-inspiring martial theophany.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)
• Śārṅga (bow)
• Muśala (pestle)
• Sīra (plough)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through decisive, righteous power; the Lord’s weapons symbolize protection, clarity, and the removal of oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.