Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अभेद्यं तच्छिरो मत्वा वीरभद्रः प्रतापवान् । स्कंधं पद्भ्यां समाक्रम्य कधरेऽपीडयत्तदा

Transliteration

abhedyaṃ tacchiro matvā vīrabhadraḥ pratāpavān | skaṃdhaṃ padbhyāṃ samākramya kadhare'pīḍayattadā

Translation

Da er dachte, sein Kopf sei schwer zu spalten, drückte der mächtige Virabhadra ihn nieder, stellte seine Füße auf die Schultern und zermalmte den Nacken.

Word by Word

• अभेद्यम्: unbreakable, not to be pierced
• अभेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भेद्य (प्रातिपदिक; √भिद् (धातु) + यत् प्रत्यय, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular neuter); विशेषणम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular neuter); सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular neuter)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having thought/considered’

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular masculine)

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• प्रतापवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्कन्धम्: shoulder/neck-shoulder region
• स्कन्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular masculine)

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (instrumental dual neuter)

• समाक्रम्य: having stepped on
• समाक्रम्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having stepped upon/pressed’

• कधरे: on the neck/throat (kadhara)
• कधरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular masculine)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); emphasis/also

• अपीडयत्: pressed, crushed
• अपीडयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (narrative frame; verse itself is Dakṣa-yajña episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembly of sages (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra, blazing with Śiva’s wrath, plants both feet upon Dakṣa’s shoulders, forcing him down and crushing at the neck amid a shattered sacrificial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is weaponized by ego, it becomes self-destructive; true strength stands with devotion and truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s broader setting venerates the Kedāra–Kailāsa sphere, though this verse is primarily mythic narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it depicts the collapse of an impurely motivated yajña.