Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

दन्तान्मुष्टिप्रहारैश्च समाहत्याभ्यपातयत् । रुधिराविलवक्त्रं तं मुमोच पतितं भुवि

Transliteration

dantānmuṣṭiprahāraiśca samāhatyābhyapātayat | rudhirāvilavaktraṃ taṃ mumoca patitaṃ bhuvi

Translation

Mit Faustschlägen gegen die Zähne schlug er ihn nieder und warf ihn zu Boden. Das Antlitz des Feindes war blutverschmiert; losgelassen stürzte er auf die Erde.

Word by Word

• दन्तान्: teeth
• दन्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मुष्टि-प्रहारैः: with fist-blows
• मुष्टि-प्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• समाहत्य: having struck
• समाहत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having struck/beat’

• अभ्यपातयत्: he knocked down / caused to fall
• अभ्यपातयत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पत् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular, past; causative sense ‘caused to fall’

• रुधिर-अविल-वक्त्रम्: having a blood-smeared face
• रुधिर-अविल-वक्त्रम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अविल (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular (pronoun)

• मुमोच: he released / let go
• मुमोच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular, perfect

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भूमि/भुव्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close-quarters strike: the hero’s fist smashes the foe’s teeth; the enemy’s face is smeared with blood as he collapses to the earth.

Characters & Entities

• Barbarīka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes violent, the protector of dharma may employ force to subdue it—strength is framed as service to righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse is part of a martial narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a physical confrontation.