Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

कोदंडभंगोत्थितशब्दमाशु श्रुत्वाभियातान्बलिनो निहंतुम् । निजघ्नतुस्तौ प्रतिगृह्य खंडौ चापस्य पालान्बलिनौ द्विजेंद्रा

Transliteration

kodaṃḍabhaṃgotthitaśabdamāśu śrutvābhiyātānbalino nihaṃtum | nijaghnatustau pratigṛhya khaṃḍau cāpasya pālānbalinau dvijeṃdrā

Translation

Als sie sogleich den Klang vernahmen, der aus dem Bruch des großen Bogens aufstieg, eilten starke Männer herbei, um zu schlagen. Doch jene beiden Mächtigen, die Bruchstücke des Bogens ergreifend, erschlugen die Wächter des Bogens, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• kodaṃḍabhaṃgotthitaśabdam: the sound arising from the breaking of the bow
• kodaṃḍabhaṃgotthitaśabdam: Karma (Object of śrutvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kodaṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + utthita (कृदन्त) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध: कोदण्ड-भङ्ग-उत्थितः शब्दः (sound arisen from the breaking of the bow)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: श्रु; अर्थे: श्रुत्वा (having heard)

• abhiyātān: those who had come forward
• abhiyātān: Karma (Object of nihantum)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√yā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘approached/come towards’

• balinaḥ: strong (men)
• balinaḥ: Karta (Subject of implied ‘were’/or apposition to abhiyātān)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (strong)

• nihantum: to kill
• nihantum: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√han (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), धातु: नि+हन्; अर्थे: निहन्तुम् (to kill)

• nijaghnatuḥ: the two struck down/killed
• nijaghnatuḥ: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√han (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• pratigṛhya: having taken up
• pratigṛhya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: प्रति+ग्रह्; अर्थे: प्रतिगृह्य (having taken/received)

• khaṇḍau: two pieces/fragments
• khaṇḍau: Karma (Object of pratigṛhya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• cāpasya: of the bow
• cāpasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pālān: guards/keepers
• pālān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• balinau: the two strong ones
• balinau: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to tau)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (strong)

• dvijeṃdrā: O best of the twice-born (addressing) / the two best among dvijas
• dvijeṃdrā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: द्विजानाम् इन्द्रौ (best among the twice-born)

Speaker

Deductive (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages/brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā-kṣetra (Dhanur-yajña-sthala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija audience addressed as ‘dvijendra’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The crack of the broken bow draws armed strongmen; Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma seize the two broken bow-pieces and strike down the guards in a whirling melee.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Balarāma
• kodaṇḍa (bow)
• bow-guards

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises as violence, divine power upholds dharma decisively, removing obstructors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha praise; the setting is the Mathurā royal arena context within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.