Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा दुकरं कर्म सोऽश्विभ्यां भीमविक्रमः । नारायणास्त्रं बलवान्मुमोच रणमूर्धनि

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā dukaraṃ karma so'śvibhyāṃ bhīmavikramaḥ | nārāyaṇāstraṃ balavānmumoca raṇamūrdhani

Translation

Als er die schwer zu vollbringende Tat der Aśvins sah, ließ er, von furchterregender Tapferkeit, auf dem Höhepunkt der Schlacht die mächtige Nārāyaṇa-Waffe los.

Word by Word

• tat: that (thing/event)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्यय-भाव/gerund), ‘having seen’

• dukaram: difficult to do
• dukaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: du-kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दुष्कर = ‘कष्टेन करणीय’)

• karma: deed/act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• aśvibhyām: by/with the Aśvins
• aśvibhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• bhīmavikramaḥ: of terrible prowess
• bhīmavikramaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘भीमः विक्रमः यस्य’)

• nārāyaṇāstram: the Nārāyaṇa weapon
• nārāyaṇāstram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नारायणस्य अस्त्रम्’)

• balavān: mighty
• balavān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mumoca: released/let loose
• mumoca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• raṇamūrdhani: in the thick/head of battle
• raṇamūrdhani: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘रणस्य मूर्धनि’ = ‘at the head of battle’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the peak of battle, a fearsome warrior releases the Nārāyaṇa-weapon—radiant, many-rayed, filling the sky—while the Aśvins stand poised, and armies recoil in dread.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvins
• Nārāyaṇāstra
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When pride escalates conflict, even sacred powers are misused; dharma measures not only strength but intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the release of the Nārāyaṇāstra.