Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अथाभिमुखमायांतं दैत्यं दृष्ट्वा धनाधिपः । बभूव संभ्रमाविष्टः पलायनपरायणः

Transliteration

athābhimukhamāyāṃtaṃ daityaṃ dṛṣṭvā dhanādhipaḥ | babhūva saṃbhramāviṣṭaḥ palāyanaparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Als er den Daitya sah, der ihm geradewegs entgegenkam, geriet Kubera, der Herr der Reichtümer, in panische Bestürzung und wandte sich ganz der Flucht zu.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriya-vishesana (Discourse/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरबोधक (discourse particle: 'then/now')

• अभिमुखम्: towards (him), face-to-face
• अभिमुखम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'towards/face-to-face')

• आयान्तम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (adjective) दैत्यम् प्रति

• दैत्यम्: the demon (Daitya)
• दैत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• धनाधिपः: lord of wealth (Kubera)
• धनाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

• बभूव: became, was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• संभ्रमाविष्टः: overcome by confusion/panic
• संभ्रमाविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; विश् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (adjective) धनाधिपः प्रति

• पलायनपरायणः: intent on fleeing
• पलायनपरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (adjective) धनाधिपः प्रति

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kubera, richly adorned yet visibly shaken, turns his body away as if to flee; his eyes widen and shoulders hunch, while the charging demon closes in—an image of wealth confronted by raw violence.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera (Dhanādhipa)
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings may experience fear; dharma emphasizes steadiness and right action amid crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is part of a martial narrative within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.