Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विजयोनाम पुण्यात्मा साहाय्याच्चंडिलस्य च । को न्वसौ चंडिलोनाम विजयोनाम कस्तथा

Transliteration

vijayonāma puṇyātmā sāhāyyāccaṃḍilasya ca | ko nvasau caṃḍilonāma vijayonāma kastathā

Translation

Vijaya, von frommer Seele, wurde zum Helfer des Caṇḍila. Wer ist denn dieser Caṇḍila, und wer ist jener rechtschaffene Vijaya, der ihm beistand?

Word by Word

• विजयः: Vijaya
• विजयः: Karta/Pratipādya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning ‘by name’)

• पुण्यात्मा: a virtuous-souled one
• पुण्यात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे (विजयः)

• साहाय्यात्: from the help/assistance
• साहाय्यात्: Apadana (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• चण्डिलस्य: of Caṇḍila
• चण्डिलस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta/Prashna (Interrogative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नु: indeed? (emphatic)
• नु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta/Pratipādya (Deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• चण्डिलः: Caṇḍila
• चण्डिलः: Karta/Pratipādya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय

• विजयः: Vijaya
• विजयः: Karta/Pratipādya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta/Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/in that manner’)

Speaker

Sages (question to the narrator, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaunaka, surrounded by sages, leans forward with questioning gaze, naming Caṇḍila and Vijaya; Sūta sits poised to narrate their origins; the scene conveys suspense before a sacred biography unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Vijaya
• Caṇḍila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It elevates selfless assistance to the virtuous as a dharmic act worthy of inquiry and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a narrative lead-in.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a question introducing the characters.