Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वज्रव्यूहमनिर्भेद्यं विविशुर्देत्यदानवाः । विधूय प्रमथानीकं ह्रदं तापार्दिता इव

Transliteration

vajravyūhamanirbhedyaṃ viviśurdetyadānavāḥ | vidhūya pramathānīkaṃ hradaṃ tāpārditā iva

Translation

Die Daityas und Dānavas drangen in die unzerbrechliche, undurchdringliche Vajra-Formation ein; sie fegten die Heerscharen der Pramathas beiseite, wie von Hitze Gepeinigte, die in einen See stürzen.

Word by Word

• वज्रव्यूह: the vajra-like formation/array
• वज्रव्यूह: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य व्यूहः)

• अनिर्भेद्यम्: impenetrable
• अनिर्भेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भेद्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √भिद् (धातु) + यत्, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अ-निर्-भेद्य = not pierceable)

• विविशुः: entered
• विविशुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• दैत्यदानवाः: the Daityas and Dānavas
• दैत्यदानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (दैत्याश्च दानवाश्च)

• विधूय: having shaken off/dispelling
• विधूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• प्रमथानीकम्: the army of the Pramathas
• प्रमथानीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक) + अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रमथानाम् अनीकम्)

• ह्रदम्: a lake
• ह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तापार्दिताः: afflicted by heat
• तापार्दिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दित (कृदन्त; √अर्द्/√अर्दय् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तापेन अर्दिताः)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Skanda (narrator; deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense, thunderbolt-like battle formation (vajra-vyūha) surges forward; daityas and dānavas push through ranks of Pramathas; the simile overlays a vision of scorched beings rushing into a cool lake.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Dānava
• Pramatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic battle imagery dramatizes the intensity of adharma’s assault before divine order reasserts itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī), though this particular verse is not a direct tīrtha-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative depiction of forces entering a battle formation.