Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

निहता दानवाः सर्वे देवेशेन सहस्रशः । अन्धकोऽपि च तान् दृष्ट्वा दानवानवनिं गतान् । ततो वाग्भिः प्रतुष्टाव देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

nihatā dānavāḥ sarve deveśena sahasraśaḥ | andhako'pi ca tān dṛṣṭvā dānavānavaniṃ gatān | tato vāgbhiḥ pratuṣṭāva devadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

By the thousands, the Lord of the gods slew all the Dānavas. And even Andhaka, seeing those Dānavas cast down upon the earth, then praised Devadeva Maheśvara with words.

Word by Word

• nihatāḥ: slain
• nihatāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म) — predicate adjective to दानवाः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni√han (धातु) + nihatá (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• dānavāḥ: demons (Dānavas)
• dānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण of दानवाः

• deveśena: by the Lord of gods
• deveśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• andhakaḥ: Andhaka
• andhakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म) of दृष्ट्वा
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• dānavān: the demons
• dānavān: Karma (Object/कर्म) of दृष्ट्वा
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• avanim: to the earth/ground
• avanim: Karma (Goal-object/कर्म) with गतान्
• Type: Noun
• Root: avanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• gatān: gone (fallen)
• gatān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; agrees with दानवान्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तर-बोधक (then/thereupon)

• vāgbhiḥ: with words/speech
• vāgbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• pratuṣṭāva: praised
• pratuṣṭāva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√stu (धातु; स्तु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• devadevam: the God of gods
• devadevam: Karma (Object/कर्म) of प्रatuṣṭāva
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘देवानां देवः’

• maheśvaram: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म) of प्रatuṣṭāva
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; apposition to देवदेवम्

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Andhaka’s praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-region (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield strewn with fallen dānavas; in the foreground Andhaka, humbled, raises folded hands and begins a hymn to Mahādeva who stands radiant, calm amid the tumult.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Deveśa/Devadeva/Maheśvara)
• Andhaka
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the adversary may turn toward reverence when confronted with divine supremacy—pride can yield to praise when truth is witnessed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Revā-khaṇḍa sacred region; this verse itself is not a tīrtha-māhātmya description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, stuti (praise) of Maheśvara is presented as a dharmic response, but no formal rite is specified.