Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मूर्ध्नि कण्ठे तथा बाह्वोर्जान्वोश्चैव कटीतटे । वक्षस्युरसि पृष्ठे च चिच्छिदतुः परस्परम्

Transliteration

mūrdhni kaṇṭhe tathā bāhvorjānvoścaiva kaṭītaṭe | vakṣasyurasi pṛṣṭhe ca cicchidatuḥ parasparam

Translation

Am Kopf, am Hals, an den Armen, den Knien, der Hüfte, der Brust und am Rücken – so trafen und verwundeten sie sich gegenseitig immer wieder.

Word by Word

• mūrdhni: on the head
• mūrdhni: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• kaṇṭhe: on the neck
• kaṇṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (adverb/conjunctive: 'also/likewise')

• bāhvoḥ: on the two arms
• bāhvoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• jānvoḥ: on the two knees
• jānvoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), द्विवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction 'and')

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• kaṭītaṭe: on the hip-region/waist-side
• kaṭītaṭe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭī (प्रातिपदिक) + taṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: 'kaṭyāḥ taṭe'); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• vakṣasi: on the chest
• vakṣasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• urasi: on the breast
• urasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• pṛṣṭhe: on the back
• pṛṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• cicchidatuḥ: they cut/pierced
• cicchidatuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (छिद् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद; पुनरुक्ति-आगम (ci- reduplication)

• parasparam: each other
• parasparam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-भावे (reciprocal adverb: 'each other')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close-quarters duel: two mighty combatants striking head, throat, arms, knees, waist, chest, and back; dust and sparks rise; weapons flash; bodies bear fresh wounds in repeated exchanges.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text portrays the gravity of dharma’s struggle—evil is not removed casually, but through sustained, resolute effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider frame is Kedāra Khaṇḍa (Kedāranātha sacred region), though this verse is not a direct tirtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.