Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्दश्यां दशग्रीवो दीक्षामापावहारतः । अमावास्यादिने प्रागाद्युद्धाय दशकंधरः

Transliteration

caturddaśyāṃ daśagrīvo dīkṣāmāpāvahārataḥ | amāvāsyādine prāgādyuddhāya daśakaṃdharaḥ

Translation

Am vierzehnten Tithi nahm Daśagrīva die Dīkṣā auf sich, ein Weihegelübde im Zusammenhang mit seiner Speiseregel. Und am Tage der Amāvasyā (Neumond) zog Daśakaṃdhara zum Kampf aus.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• दशग्रीवः: Daśagrīva (ten-necked; Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘दश ग्रीवाः यस्य सः’

• दीक्षाम्: initiation/vow
• दीक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आप: obtained/undertook
• आप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अवहारतः: because of the removal/abduction
• अवहारतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ पञ्चमी

• अमावास्या: of the new-moon day
• अमावास्या: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); कालाधिकरण

• प्रागात्: went forth/set out
• प्रागात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थ चतुर्थी

• दशकन्धरः: Daśakandhara (ten-shouldered; Rāvaṇa)
• दशकन्धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘दश कन्धराः यस्य सः’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On caturdaśī Rāvaṇa takes dīkṣā tied to regulated intake; on amāvāsyā he marches to battle—ritual chamber transitioning to war procession under a moonless sky.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva/Daśakaṃdhara)
• Dīkṣā
• Amāvāsyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power without righteousness cannot save: even after dīkṣā, one who stands in adharma proceeds toward downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is glorified; the verse is a narrative timestamp using caturdaśī and amāvāsyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dīkṣā is mentioned (as Rāvaṇa’s act), but it is not presented here as a recommended vrata for devotees—only as part of the storyline.