Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तयोरनुगतो दैत्यः कालनेमिर्नदन्मुहुः । प्राप्येंद्रस्य बलं क्रूरो दैत्यानीकपदानुगः

Transliteration

tayoranugato daityaḥ kālanemirnadanmuhuḥ | prāpyeṃdrasya balaṃ krūro daityānīkapadānugaḥ

Translation

Close behind those two followed the Dānava Kālanemi, roaring again and again. Cruel, keeping step with the demon host, he came upon Indra’s forces.

Word by Word

• tayoḥ: of those two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• anugataḥ: followed
• anugataḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + gam (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘followed’

• daityaḥ: the demon
• daityaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kālanemiḥ: Kālanemi
• kālanemiḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālanemi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• nadan: roaring
• nadan: Kriya (Concurrent action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nad (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘roaring’

• muhuḥ: repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb: 'again and again/frequently')

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (gerund): ‘having reached/obtained’

• indrasya: of Indra
• indrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• balam: army/force
• balam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• krūraḥ: cruel
• krūraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• daityānīkapadānugaḥ: following the tracks of the demon host
• daityānīkapadānugaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + anīka (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + anuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सम्बन्धः: ‘दैत्यानां अनीकस्य पदानुगः’ = ‘following the footsteps of the demon-host’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālanemi, roaring repeatedly, strides after the fleeing Aśvins; behind him surges a demon-host in formation. Ahead, Indra’s forces gather—standards raised—bracing for impact.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma advances loudly and aggressively; dharma must be protected through higher refuge and divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative description.