Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तामापतंतीं संप्रेक्ष्य गदां महिषवाहनः । गदायाः प्रतिघातार्थं जगज्ज्वलनभैरवम्

Transliteration

tāmāpataṃtīṃ saṃprekṣya gadāṃ mahiṣavāhanaḥ | gadāyāḥ pratighātārthaṃ jagajjvalanabhairavam

Translation

Als er die Keule auf sich zurasen sah, bereitete sich Yama, der Büffelreiter, darauf vor, den Aufprall abzuwehren, und entfachte ein schreckliches Flammenleuchten, als stünde die Welt in Brand.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (mace)
• ताम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/charging toward
• आपतन्तीम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आगच्छन्तीम्/पतन्तीम्’

• संप्रेक्ष्य: having seen/observed
• संप्रेक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव

• गदाम्: the mace
• गदाम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महिषवाहनः: the buffalo-mounted one (Yama)
• महिषवाहनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महिषो वाहनं यस्य’ (one whose mount is a buffalo)

• गदायाः: of the mace
• गदायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिघातार्थम्: for countering/striking back
• प्रतिघातार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिघात + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the purpose of counter-striking)

• जगज्ज्वलनभैरवम्: the world-burning terrible (weapon/rod)
• जगज्ज्वलनभैरवम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + ज्वलन + भैरव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम/विशेषणवत् (terrible like world-burning fire)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama on his buffalo sees the mace hurtling in; he manifests a dreadful blaze, like the world aflame, to blunt the oncoming strike.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Mahiṣavāhana)
• Grasana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The imagery of world-burning terror signals the vast powers that uphold cosmic order; it cautions that confronting Dharma’s guardians invites consequences beyond ordinary strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.