Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तमायांतमभिप्रेक्ष्य धनुष्याहितसा यकम् । शतक्रतुरदीनात्मा दृढमादत्त कार्मुकम्

Transliteration

tamāyāṃtamabhiprekṣya dhanuṣyāhitasā yakam | śatakraturadīnātmā dṛḍhamādatta kārmukam

Translation

Als er ihn herankommen sah, den Pfeil bereits auf den Bogen gelegt, ergriff Śatakratu (Indra), unerschütterlichen Geistes, fest seinen eigenen Bogen.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular pronoun

• āyāntam: approaching
• āyāntam: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√yā (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — present participle ‘coming/approaching’ qualifying tam

• abhiprekṣya: having observed
• abhiprekṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: abhi-√prekṣ (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having looked at/observed’

• dhanuṣi: on the bow
• dhanuṣi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• āhita: placed; set
• āhita: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√dhā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘placed’ (qualifying sāyakam)

• sāyakam: arrow
• sāyakam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• śatakratuḥ: Śatakratu (Indra)
• śatakratuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatakratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — epithet (Indra) ‘he of a hundred sacrifices’

• adīnātmā: undaunted
• adīnātmā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adīna-ātman (प्रातिपदिक; a-dīna + ātman)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Bahuvrīhi ‘whose spirit is not dejected’ qualifying śatakratuḥ

• dṛḍham: firmly
• dṛḍham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् — adverb ‘firmly’

• ādatta: took up
• ādatta: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘took up/assumed’

• kārmukam: bow
• kārmukam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārmuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra sees the oncoming foe with arrow set; without wavering, he grips his bow firmly—calm face, steady posture, readiness without panic.

Characters & Entities

• Śatakratu (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast courage and composure (adīnatā) are upheld as dharmic strength even amid danger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it is a martial episode within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on resolve and readiness in battle.