Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भूयो महासुरो जातो माहिषं वेषमाश्रितः । ततः क्रुद्धा भद्रकाली महत्पानमसेवत

Transliteration

bhūyo mahāsuro jāto māhiṣaṃ veṣamāśritaḥ | tataḥ kruddhā bhadrakālī mahatpānamasevata

Translation

Erneut erhob sich der große Asura und nahm die Gestalt eines Büffels an. Da griff Bhadrakālī, vom Zorn entflammt, zu tiefem Trunk des berauschenden Metes, um sich auf die entscheidende Begegnung zu rüsten.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; once more
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘पुनः/अधिकम्’

• महासुरः: the great demon
• महासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर (प्रातिपदिक: महा + असुर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जातः: was born; arose
• जातः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उत्पन्नः’

• माहिषम्: buffalo (related)
• माहिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifying ‘वेषम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘महिषसम्बन्धि’

• वेषम्: guise; form; dress
• वेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आश्रितः: having assumed; having taken refuge in
• आश्रितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रयितः/गृहीतः’

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’

• क्रुद्धा: angered
• क्रुद्धा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण) (of ‘भद्रकाली’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कोपिता’

• भद्रकाली: Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक: भद्रा + काली)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महत्: great; much
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महान्’ (qualifying ‘पानम्’)

• पानम्: drinking; drink
• पानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• असेवत: she partook; she drank; she enjoyed
• असेवत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Rāma-setu/Rāmeśvara sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame, typical) / tīrtha-śrotṛs (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahīṣāsura reappears in buffalo form; Bhadrakālī, eyes fierce, prepares by drinking madhu before the climactic combat.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrakālī
• Mahīṣāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected when Śakti manifests with decisive force; arrogance that takes new forms is still overcome by divine resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region (Setukhaṇḍa) is the narrative frame; the episode supports the sanctity of Setu by associating it with divine victory and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata/dāna/snānā instruction appears in this verse; it is narrative description of the battle’s turning point.