Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

खड्गेन तीक्ष्णधारेण चर्मपाणिरधावत । प्रविश्य दानवानीकं गजः पद्मसरो यथा

Transliteration

khaḍgena tīkṣṇadhāreṇa carmapāṇiradhāvata | praviśya dānavānīkaṃ gajaḥ padmasaro yathā

Translation

Carmapāṇi stürmte heran, ein scharfkantiges Schwert und einen Schild in der Hand; er drang in das Heer der Dānavas ein wie ein Elefant in einen Lotossee.

Word by Word

• खड्गेन: with a sword
• खड्गेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तीक्ष्णधारेण: with a sharp-edged (one)
• तीक्ष्णधारेण: Karana (करण/Instrument; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• चर्मपाणिः: the one holding a hide/shield
• चर्मपाणिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = यस्य पाणौ चर्म (one who has a hide/shield in hand)

• अधावत: ran
• अधावत: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (धातु) उपसर्गः अ- (अधि/अव इत्यादि पाठभेदसंभावना)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• दानवानीकम्: the demon-host/army
• दानवानीकम्: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गजः: an elephant
• गजः: Upamana (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पद्मसरः: a lotus-lake
• पद्मसरः: Upameya/Locative sense (उपमेय-गमनविषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (उपमान-स्थल)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Upama-marker (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-प्रदर्शक (comparative particle)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Carmapāṇi, sword razor-bright and shield raised, charges and plunges into the daṇava ranks like an elephant entering a lotus lake—splash-like scattering of foes, rhythmic chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Carmapāṇi
• Dānava (demons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous courage in the face of adharma is praised; the protector advances without hesitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a martial narrative passage within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes battlefield action and heroic imagery.