Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

चिच्छेद शतधाऽकाशे शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः । ततश्च शरजालेन देवेन्द्रो दानवेश्वरम्

Transliteration

ciccheda śatadhā'kāśe śarairagniśikhopamaiḥ | tataśca śarajālena devendro dānaveśvaram

Translation

Indra zerschnitt sie mitten im Himmel in hundert Stücke mit Pfeilen, gleich Feuerzungen. Dann bedeckte und bedrängte der Herr der Götter mit einem dichten Netz von Pfeilen den Dānava-Herrscher.

Word by Word

• चिच्छेद: he cut
• चिच्छेद: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शतधा: into a hundred pieces
• शतधा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: into a hundred pieces/ways)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अग्निशिखोपमैः: like fire-flames
• अग्निशिखोपमैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + शिखा + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—अग्निशिखायाः उपमाः (like flames of fire)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• शरजालेन: with a net/volley of arrows
• शरजालेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—शराणां जालम्

• देवेन्द्रः: Devendra (Indra)
• देवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—देवानाम् इन्द्रः

• दानवेश्वरम्: the lord of the Dānavas
• दानवेश्वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—दानवानाम् ईश्वरः

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jambha’s fiery arrows slice incoming missiles into hundreds of fragments in the sky; immediately Indra answers with an even denser arrow-net, filling the space between them like a storm of light and steel.

Characters & Entities

• Devendra (Indra)
• Dānaveśvara (Jambha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused energy can disperse overwhelming obstacles; the imagery of fire-like arrows signifies decisive transformative power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy place is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.