Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 176

Devanagari script

जमदग्निसुतो भूत्वा गुरुं कृत्वा महेश्वरम् । कार्त्तवीर्यं वधिष्यामि बहुभिः क्षत्रियैः सह

Transliteration

jamadagnisuto bhūtvā guruṃ kṛtvā maheśvaram | kārttavīryaṃ vadhiṣyāmi bahubhiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ saha

Translation

Als Sohn von Jamadagni und mit Maheśvara als meinem Guru werde ich Kārttavīrya zusammen mit vielen Kṣatriyas töten.

Word by Word

• जमदग्नि-सुतः: son of Jamadagni
• जमदग्नि-सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having become’

• गुरुम्: teacher, guru
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having made/appointed’

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुरुम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य (as the one made guru)

• कार्त्तवीर्यम्: Kārttavīrya (Arjuna)
• कार्त्तवीर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वधिष्यामि: I will kill
• वधिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Sahakāraka / Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; ‘क्षत्रियैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• क्षत्रियैः: kṣatriyas, warriors
• क्षत्रियैः: Sahakāraka / Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable), ‘with’

Speaker

Vāmana (foretelling Paraśurāma’s incarnation and deeds)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow is proclaimed: the speaker will be born as Jamadagni’s son (Paraśurāma), take Maheśvara as guru, and slay Kārttavīrya with many kṣatriyas—an image of disciplined wrath under divine tutelage.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Kārttavīrya (Arjuna)
• Paraśurāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rulers deviate from dharma, divine order may restore balance through a dharmic agent guided by Śiva and brāhmaṇa-tejas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa), using epic history to magnify the sacred milieu where dharma is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse highlights guru-bhakti toward Maheśvara as the spiritual foundation for righteous action.