Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तमादायैव कौतेयो विस्फुरंतं जलेचरम् । उदतिष्ठन्महाबाहुर्बलेन बलिनां वरः

Transliteration

tamādāyaiva kauteyo visphuraṃtaṃ jalecaram | udatiṣṭhanmahābāhurbalena balināṃ varaḥ

Translation

Indem er das sich windende Wasserwesen emporhob, erhob sich der Sohn der Kuntī — großarmig, der Beste unter den Starken — allein durch seine Kraft.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/it (that one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken (seized)
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund/absolutive); 'having taken'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/indeed)

• कौतेयः: the son of Kunti (Arjuna)
• कौतेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतेय (प्रातिपदिक; कुन्ती-सम्बन्धी, अर्जुनः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्फुरन्तम्: struggling, writhing
• विस्फुरन्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + √स्फुर् (धातु) → विस्फुरत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जलेचरम्: the water-creature (crocodile)
• जलेचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'जले चरः'

• उदतिष्ठत्: stood up, rose
• उदतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: 'महान्तौ बाहू यस्य सः' (one who has great arms)

• बलेन: by strength
• बलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• बलिनाम्: of the strong (men)
• बलिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (appositional to महाबाहुः/कौतेयः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna, waist-deep in water, muscles taut, lifts the thrashing crocodile upward; water arcs off the creature; the river surface breaks into concentric ripples around the hero.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Kuntī
• Grāha (crocodile)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Courage and strength, when aligned with Dharma, become instruments through which hidden blessings in a tīrtha narrative are revealed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saubhadra Tīrtha remains the setting, emphasizing its sacred and wondrous character.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, highlighting the heroic response within the tīrtha setting.