Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स चित्रयोधी दृढमुष्टिपातस्ततश्व विष्णुं च दैत्यः । बाणैर्ज्वलद्वह्निशिखानिकाशैः क्षिप्तैरसंख्यैः प्रतिघाहीनैः

Transliteration

sa citrayodhī dṛḍhamuṣṭipātastataśva viṣṇuṃ ca daityaḥ | bāṇairjvaladvahniśikhānikāśaiḥ kṣiptairasaṃkhyaiḥ pratighāhīnaiḥ

Translation

Jener Daitya, ein wunderbarer Kämpfer mit zermalmenden Faustschlägen, griff darauf auch Viṣṇu an und schleuderte unzählige Pfeile, flammend wie Feuerzungen, unerbittlich in ihrem Einschlag.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; pronoun

• citrayodhī: a wondrous fighter
• citrayodhī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra-yodhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; compound: citra (विचित्र/अद्भुत) + yodhin (योधिन्)

• dṛḍhamuṣṭipātaḥ: (one with) a hard fist-blow
• dṛḍhamuṣṭipātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍha-muṣṭi-pāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; compound: dṛḍha (दृढ) + muṣṭi (मुष्टि) + pāta (पात)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) 'then/from there'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय)

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय)

• daityaḥ: the demon
• daityaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• bāṇaiḥ: with arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• jvalat: blazing
• jvalat: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jval (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), neuter/indeclinable stem used in compound; from √jval 'to blaze'

• vahni: fire
• vahni: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, stem form in compound

• śikhā: flame
• śikhā: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, stem form in compound

• nikāśaiḥ: resembling
• nikāśaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; used adjectivally with bāṇaiḥ; 'like, resembling'

• kṣiptaiḥ: thrown
• kṣiptaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; qualifying bāṇaiḥ

• asaṃkhyaiḥ: countless
• asaṃkhyaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-saṃkhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; compound with privative a- + saṃkhya 'count' meaning 'countless'

• pratighāhīnaiḥ: unimpeded
• pratighāhīnaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-ghāta-hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; compound: prati (प्रति) + ghāta (घात) + hīna (हीन) meaning 'without obstruction/without being checked'

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful daitya—expert in varied warfare and heavy fist-strikes—turns his fury upon Viṣṇu, launching innumerable arrows that blaze like tongues of fire, each strike unyielding.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Daitya (attacker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may appear overwhelming and relentless, yet it is ultimately measured against divine steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.