Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

एवं तद्देवसैन्यं च हाहाभूतमचेतनम् । कृत्वा मुहूर्तादाधावच्चक्रपाणिं तमुन्नदन्

Transliteration

evaṃ taddevasainyaṃ ca hāhābhūtamacetanam | kṛtvā muhūrtādādhāvaccakrapāṇiṃ tamunnadan

Translation

So versetzte er in einem Augenblick das Heer der Götter in sinnlose, bewusstlose Panik, während es „hā hā!“ schrie. Dann stürmte er, laut aufbrüllend, auf den Herrn mit dem Diskus (Viṣṇu) zu.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Demonstrative ‘that’ qualifying सैन्यम्

• देवसैन्यम्: the army of the gods
• देवसैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां सैन्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• हाहाभूतम्: reduced to cries of ‘hā hā’
• हाहाभूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहा (अव्यय/ध्वन्यात्मक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हाहा-शब्दयुक्त/हाहा इति जातम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अचेतनम्: unconscious
• अचेतनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुष (चेतनरहित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having made’

• मुहूर्तात्: after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (after a moment)

• आधावत्: ran towards
• आधावत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘ran towards’

• चक्रपाणिम्: the one holding the discus (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रपाणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य पाणौ चक्रम् सः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (epithet of Viṣṇu)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun ‘him’

• उन्नदन्: they roared/shouted
• उन्नदन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√नद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they roared/shouted’

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast deva-army collapses into confusion, hands raised, mouths crying ‘hā hā’; through the chaos a fierce warrior surges forward toward Viṣṇu, who stands poised with the Sudarśana discus, calm amid turmoil.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Viṣṇu (Hari, Cakrapāṇi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine hosts can be overwhelmed by fear; dharma requires steadiness and reliance on the Lord rather than panic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s wider Skanda-centered sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a battlefield narration without vrata/dāna/japa instructions.