Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पदातिरासाद्य रथं रक्षो वामकरेण च । केशेषु निरृतिं गृह्य जानुनाक्रम्य च स्थितः

Transliteration

padātirāsādya rathaṃ rakṣo vāmakareṇa ca | keśeṣu nirṛtiṃ gṛhya jānunākramya ca sthitaḥ

Translation

Then the Rākṣasa, coming up on foot to the chariot, seized Nirṛti by the hair with his left hand and, pressing him down with his knee, stood over him.

Word by Word

• पदातिः: the foot-soldier (warrior on foot)
• पदातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having approached/reached'; उपसर्ग: आ-

• रथम्: the chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रक्षः: the Rakṣasa (demon)
• रक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (collective/being: demon)

• वामकरेण: with the left hand
• वामकरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम-कर (प्रातिपदिक; वाम + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• केशेषु: by the hair / in the hair
• केशेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• निरृतिम्: Nirṛti (the goddess/person)
• निरृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गृह्य: having grasped
• गृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having seized'

• जानुना: with the knee
• जानुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• आक्रम्य: having pressed/stepped on
• आक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having stepped upon'; उपसर्ग: आ-

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• स्थितः: stood
• स्थितः: Kriya (State/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'stood/was positioned'

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa rushes the chariot on foot, grabs Nirṛti by the hair with the left hand, pins him down with a knee, towering over him in a brutal hold; chariot wheels and fallen weapons frame the struggle.

Characters & Entities

• Nirṛti
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays the harshness of adharma-driven aggression; Purāṇic narratives often show such violence to underline why divine order must be restored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is not a māhātmya of a place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.