Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

एकैकं दानवं जघ्ने षड्भिः पड्भिरजिह्नगैः । आकर्णकृष्टैर्भूयश्च कालनेमिस्त्रिभिः शरैः

Transliteration

ekaikaṃ dānavaṃ jaghne ṣaḍbhiḥ paḍbhirajihnagaiḥ | ākarṇakṛṣṭairbhūyaśca kālanemistribhiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

He slew the Dānavas one by one with six and six unfaltering arrows; and again Kālanemi was struck with three shafts drawn back to the ear.

Word by Word

• eka-ekam: each one (one by one)
• eka-ekam: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine) द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular); अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘one by one’ अर्थे

• dānavam: a Dānava (demon)
• dānavam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular)

• jaghne: he struck/killed
• jaghne: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• ṣaḍbhiḥ: with six
• ṣaḍbhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); संख्याविशेषणम्

• paḍbhiḥ: with six
• paḍbhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); संख्याविशेषणम्; (पाठभेदः: षड्भिः षड्भिः इति सम्भाव्य)

• a-jihnagaiḥ: with straight (arrows)
• a-jihnagaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + jihnaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine) तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); विशेषणम् (of arrows): ‘not crooked/straight-going’

• ākarṇa-kṛṣṭaiḥ: with (arrows) drawn to the ear
• ākarṇa-kṛṣṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √kṛṣ ‘to draw’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine) तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘drawn up to the ear’; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• bhūyaḥ: again, further
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

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

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

• tribhiḥ: with three
• tribhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural); संख्याविशेषणम्

• śaraiḥ: with arrows
• śaraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu as master archer: he releases paired sets of six unfaltering arrows, felling Dānavas sequentially; Kālanemi singled out, struck by three ear-drawn shafts, emphasizing precision and inevitability.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kālanemi
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma acts with precision and restraint—power is shown as disciplined, not reckless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.