Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

लेभे कुठारमुज्जह्ने येनार्जुनभुजान्युधि । अग्रतो देवदेवस्य ज्ञात्वा तीर्थे महागुणान्

Transliteration

lebhe kuṭhāramujjahne yenārjunabhujānyudhi | agrato devadevasya jñātvā tīrthe mahāguṇān

Translation

Er erlangte die Axt, mit der er im Kampf Arjunas Arme abhieb—nachdem er zuvor vor den Gott der Götter getreten war und die großen Vorzüge jenes heiligen Tīrtha erkannt hatte.

Word by Word

• lebhe: obtained
• lebhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ्, प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• kuṭhāram: axe
• kuṭhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ujjahne: struck down/defeated
• ujjahne: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√han (हन्, हिंसायाम्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• arjuna-bhujān: Arjuna’s arms
• arjuna-bhujān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक/नाम) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्जुनस्य भुजाः)

• yudhi: in battle
• yudhi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘युद्धे’ (in battle)

• agrataḥ: in front (of)
• agrataḥ: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: in front)

• deva-devasya: of the God of gods
• deva-devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा, अवबोधने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• mahā-guṇān: great virtues/excellences
• mahā-guṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः गुणाः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma kneels before a liṅga; Śiva’s presence is suggested as a radiant form; the axe (kuṭhāra) appears as a divine gift; a battle vignette shows Arjuna’s arms being severed.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Śiva)
• Arjuna (Kārtavīrya Arjuna)
• Paraśurāma (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing a tīrtha’s greatness and approaching Śiva with reverence makes divine empowerment (śakti) fruitful and dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha connected to the Kumāreśa/Rāmeśvara liṅga within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (approaching in the presence) of Deva-deva and recognizing the tīrtha’s mahā-guṇas as part of pilgrimage devotion.