Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

बभंज पृष्ठतः कांश्चित्करेणाकृष्य दानवः । ततः क्षपयतस्तस्य सुरसैन्यानि वृत्रहा

Transliteration

babhaṃja pṛṣṭhataḥ kāṃścitkareṇākṛṣya dānavaḥ | tataḥ kṣapayatastasya surasainyāni vṛtrahā

Translation

Einige von ihnen mit seinem Rüssel zerrend, zerschmetterte der Dānava sie von hinten. Da begann Vṛtrahā, die Streitkräfte jenes Dānava zu vernichten und die Armeen der Götterfeinde zu dezimieren.

Word by Word

• babhaṃja: broke, smashed
• babhaṃja: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhañj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pṛṣṭhataḥ: from behind
• pṛṣṭhataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तद्धितान्त अव्यय (adverbial) — ‘पृष्ठतः’ = ‘from behind/at the back’

• kāṃścit: some (of them)
• kāṃścit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (some)

• kareṇa: with (his) hand/trunk
• kareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ākṛṣya: having dragged/pulled
• ākṛṣya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः ‘ā-’

• dānavaḥ: the demon
• dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — क्रम/अनन्तरबोधक (then/thereupon)

• kṣapayataḥ: of (him) destroying/causing to perish
• kṣapayataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣapaya (प्रातिपदिक from causative stem of √kṣi/√kṣap)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; ‘of (him) who was destroying’

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• sura-sainyāni: the armies of the gods
• sura-sainyāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘सुराणां सैन्यानि’

• vṛtrahā: Vṛtra-slayer (Indra)
• vṛtrahā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtra (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘हन्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘वृत्रं हन्ति’ इति; इन्द्रनाम (epithet)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya, still in elephant-māyā, hooks warriors with his trunk and smashes them from behind; Indra, radiant and fierce, counters by cutting down the daitya’s ranks, turning the tide.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Vṛtrahā)
• Dānava
• Sura-sainyā (Deva army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma turns brutal and deceptive, dharmic guardians must act firmly to protect the cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.