Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

वीरभद्रं यदा शक्रो हंतुकामस्त्वरान्वितः । तावच्छंक्रं गजस्थं हि पुरयामास मार्गणैः

Transliteration

vīrabhadraṃ yadā śakro haṃtukāmastvarānvitaḥ | tāvacchaṃkraṃ gajasthaṃ hi purayāmāsa mārgaṇaiḥ

Translation

Als Śakra, begierig Vīrabhadra zu töten und von Eile getrieben, vorrückte, da überschüttete er in diesem Augenblick den Elefantenreiter mit Salven von Pfeilen.

Word by Word

• वीरभद्रम्: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: समयवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हन्तुकामः: desiring to kill
• हन्तुकामः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय) → हन्तुम् (infinitive) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (हन्तुम् कामः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with शक्रः)

• त्वरान्वितः: accompanied by haste
• त्वरान्वितः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √इ ‘to go’ + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/सह-भाव (त्वरया अन्वितः = endowed with haste); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: then/at that time
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (so long/then)

• शङ्क्रम्: Śaṅkra (reading uncertain; likely ‘Śakra/Indra’)
• शङ्क्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु/शङ्क्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पाठभेद/अर्थसन्देहः—सम्भवतः ‘शक्रं’ (इन्द्रम्) इति अपेक्षितम्

• गजस्थम्: mounted on an elephant
• गजस्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (गजे स्थितः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with शङ्क्रम्/शक्रम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• पूरयामास: filled (covered)
• पूरयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर्/पॄ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + लिट् (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect; narrative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• मार्गणैः: with arrows
• मार्गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, intent on killing, unleashes volleys of arrows at the elephant-mounted foe; the air is thick with shafts, banners, and dust.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vīrabhadra
• Elephant-mounted warrior
• Arrows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Haste and the desire to dominate lead to aggressive action; Purāṇic narrative uses such scenes to caution against pride opposed to divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa context points to the Kedāra tīrtha-region; this verse is a battle description within that larger māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.