Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

निरगान्महिषो दीनस्ततस्तस्मा ज्जलाशयात् । आयांतमसुरं देवी पादेनाक्रम्य मूर्द्धनि

Transliteration

niragānmahiṣo dīnastatastasmā jjalāśayāt | āyāṃtamasuraṃ devī pādenākramya mūrddhani

Translation

Dann trat der Büffeldämon, elend, aus jenem Wasserbecken hervor. Als der Asura herankam, setzte die Göttin ihren Fuß auf sein Haupt.

Word by Word

• निरगात्: came out
• निरगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + √gam (गम्)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• महिषः: the buffalo (demon)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दीनः: wretched, miserable
• दीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• ततः: then, from there
• ततः: Sambandha (Source/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्ययम् (from there/then)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्

• जलाशयात्: from the reservoir of water
• जलाशयात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala + āśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (जलस्य आशयः); पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आयान्तम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + √yā (या) → आयान्त (शतृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ/Present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (असुरम्)

• असुरम्: the asura (demon)
• असुरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पादेन: with (her) foot
• पादेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आक्रम्य: having stepped on, having trampled
• आक्रम्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √kram (क्रम्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (Gerund/Absolutive)

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the emptied tank, the wretched buffalo-demon rises; Devī steps forward and pins his head under her foot—an iconic moment of victory and cosmic order restored.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Durgā/Caṇḍikā)
• Mahiṣa-asura
• Dharmapuṣkariṇī (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma loses its ground when confronted by Divine authority; arrogance is subdued at its very ‘head’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action centers on the jalāśaya identified in the passage as Dharmapuṣkariṇī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the subjugation preceding the asura’s death.