Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दृष्टं तदा सुरैः सर्वै रथादश्वमथानयन् । छित्त्वा शीर्षं महीपाल कबंधाद्वाजिनो हरेः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ tadā suraiḥ sarvai rathādaśvamathānayan | chittvā śīrṣaṃ mahīpāla kabaṃdhādvājino hareḥ

Translation

Da sahen es alle Devas; und vom Wagen brachten sie das Pferd herbei. O König, nachdem sie den Kopf von Haris Pferd vom Rumpf abgetrennt hatten, nahmen sie ihn an sich.

Word by Word

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे (impersonal passive sense)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of सुरैः)

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अश्वम्: the horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• आनयन्: bringing
• आनयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन/बहुवचन-प्रसङ्गे (contextually plural subject ‘सुराः’); परस्मैपद-भाव

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• शीर्षम्: the head
• शीर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कबंधात्: from the trunk
• कबंधात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कबंध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वाजिनः: of the horse
• वाजिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (mahīpāla)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (best of kings) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, seeing the target, approach the solar chariot and bring down the horse; they sever the head from Hari’s horse’s trunk, preparing it for the divine restoration.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narrative teaches that even unusual means may be employed to restore divine purpose when guided by higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive episode leading toward the manifestation of Hayagrīva.