Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

शूलेन सितधारेण संनद्धो दण्डधारिणा । यमेन सह संग्रामं महाकालो बलान्वितः

Transliteration

śūlena sitadhāreṇa saṃnaddho daṇḍadhāriṇā | yamena saha saṃgrāmaṃ mahākālo balānvitaḥ

Translation

Mit dem hellschneidigen Dreizack bewaffnet und mit der Waffe des Stabes gerüstet trat der mächtige Mahākāla, von Kraft erfüllt, in den Kampf mit Yama ein.

Word by Word

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सितधारेण: with bright/white edge
• सितधारेण: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of śūlena/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + धार (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः कर्मधारय (सिता धारा यस्य)

• संनद्धः: armed/equipped
• संनद्धः: Kriyā (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + नह् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (armed/fully equipped)

• दण्डधारिणा: with the staff-bearer
• दण्डधारिणा: Sahakāraka (Associate/सहकारक; with the staff-bearer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दण्डं धारयति इति)

• यमेन: with Yama
• यमेन: Sahakāraka (Associate/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक; देवता)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakāraka (Association marker/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह-प्रयोग/associative particle)

• संग्रामम्: battle
• संग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम; समासः कर्मधारय (महा + काल)

• बलान्वितः: endowed with strength
• बलान्वितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Mahākāla/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-निष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः तत्पुरुष (बलेन अन्वितः = endowed with strength)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahākāla, blazing with strength, advances holding a bright-edged trident and a staff-weapon, confronting Yama who bears his daṇḍa—an archetypal clash of transcendent time versus death’s law.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Yama
• Śūla (Trident)
• Daṇḍa (Staff)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mahākāla represents the supremacy of Śiva as Time itself, before whom even Yama’s authority is secondary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region is the overarching frame; Mahākāla also evokes Ujjain’s Mahākāleśvara in wider Śaiva sacred geography, though this verse is within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on divine martial encounter and theological symbolism.