Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

दशभिर्दशभिः शल्यैर्जघ्नुः सगरुडं रणे । तेषाममृष्यत्तत्कर्म विष्णुर्दानवसूदनः

Transliteration

daśabhirdaśabhiḥ śalyairjaghnuḥ sagaruḍaṃ raṇe | teṣāmamṛṣyattatkarma viṣṇurdānavasūdanaḥ

Translation

In battle they struck Viṣṇu together with Garuḍa, each with ten barbed missiles. Viṣṇu, the slayer of the Dānavas, could not endure that deed of theirs.

Word by Word

• daśabhiḥ: with ten
• daśabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• daśabhiḥ: with ten
• daśabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• śalyaiḥ: with darts/spears
• śalyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• jaghnuḥ: they struck/killed
• jaghnuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural); परस्मैपदम्

• sa-garuḍam: (him) together with Garuḍa
• sa-garuḍam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (सह/उपसर्ग-तुल्य) + garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular); सहार्थक-तत्पुरुषः (with Garuḍa)

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम् (plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• amṛṣyat: did not tolerate
• amṛṣyat: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); परस्मैपदम्; न-प्रत्ययेन निषेधः (a- prefix: did not endure)

• tat-karma: that act/deed
• tat-karma: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (that deed)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• dānava-sūdanaḥ: slayer of the Dānavas
• dānava-sūdanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + sūdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (slayer of Dānavas); विशेषणरूपेण विष्णोः उपाधिः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense battlefield tableau: Dānavas release clustered barbed missiles at Viṣṇu and Garuḍa; Viṣṇu stands firm, eyes sharpened in controlled wrath, Garuḍa’s wings spread as a protective canopy amid a rain of arrows.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is challenged through aggression, divine resolve arises to restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this battle verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.