Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

एकदा वै तदा शक्रो ययौ वैरोचनं प्रति । हंतुकामो हि दैत्येंद्रं विप्रो भूत्वाऽथ याचकः

Transliteration

ekadā vai tadā śakro yayau vairocanaṃ prati | haṃtukāmo hi daityeṃdraṃ vipro bhūtvā'tha yācakaḥ

Translation

Einst, zu jener Zeit, ging Śakra (Indra) zu Virocana, im Verlangen, den Herrn der Dānavas zu töten; darum nahm er die Gestalt eines Brāhmaṇa an und trat als Bettler heran.

Word by Word

• ekadā: once, at one time
• ekadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of time

• vai: indeed, surely
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/पदार्थनिश्चयार्थक) — emphatic particle

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — adverb of time

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — perfect, 3rd person singular

• vairocanaṃ: Virocana (name/person)
• vairocanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• prati: towards
• prati: Gati/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद/पूर्वक) — preposition governing accusative

• haṃtukāmaḥ: desiring to kill
• haṃtukāmaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hantu (तुमुनन्त/कृदन्त from √han धातु) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तुमुनन्त-समास (हन्तुं कामः) — masculine nominative singular; ‘desirous to kill’

• hi: for, indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/हेतौ) — particle indicating reason/emphasis

• daityendraṃ: lord of the Daityas
• daityendraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः) — masculine accusative singular

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — gerund/absolutive ‘having become’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — sequential particle

• yācakaḥ: a beggar, supplicant
• yācakaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/śaunaka-style frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, concealed as a brāhmaṇa-beggar, sets out toward Virocana with concealed martial intent; a liminal moment of disguise before entering the asura’s domain.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Virocana
• Daityendra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often test dharma through disguise: one’s virtue is revealed in how one treats a supplicant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it advances the Kedārakhaṇḍa storyline focused on dharma and dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets up a moral test involving alms (yācñā) and charity.