Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तदस्त्रजालं तैर्मुक्तं लब्धलक्षो जनार्दनः । एकैकं शतधा चक्रे बाणैरग्नि शिखोपमैः

Transliteration

tadastrajālaṃ tairmuktaṃ labdhalakṣo janārdanaḥ | ekaikaṃ śatadhā cakre bāṇairagni śikhopamaiḥ

Translation

That net of weapons they released—Janārdana, with flawless aim, shattered each and every one into a hundred pieces with arrows like tongues of fire.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; विशेषण (of astrajālam)

• astrajālam: net/volley of weapons
• astrajālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra + jāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अस्त्राणां जालम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; ‘by them’

• muktam: released, hurled
• muktam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muc (धातु) → mukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; astrajālam-विशेषण

• labdhalakṣaḥ: having found the target/aim
• labdhalakṣaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labdha (कृदन्त) + lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (लब्धं लक्ष्यं यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; जनार्दन-विशेषण

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārdanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विष्णोर्नाम

• ekaikam: each one (separately)
• ekaikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (एकं च एकं च → ‘each one’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; क्रियाविशेष्य (object-distributive)

• śatadhā: into a hundred pieces
• śatadhā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śatadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘into a hundred parts/ hundredfold’

• cakre: made, rendered
• cakre: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bāṇaiḥ: with arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• agniśikhopamaiḥ: like flames of fire
• agniśikhopamaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni + śikhā + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्निशिखायाः उपमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; बाण-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana, unerring in aim, releases blazing arrows like tongues of fire, each arrow splitting incoming weapons so that every missile shatters into a hundred fragments midair.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused, righteous power (symbolized by flawless aim) dissolves the chaos of hostile forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.