Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

जघान भिंडिपालेन शितधारेण वक्षसि । तं प्रहारमचिंत्यैव विष्णुस्तस्मिन्महाहवे

Transliteration

jaghāna bhiṃḍipālena śitadhāreṇa vakṣasi | taṃ prahāramaciṃtyaiva viṣṇustasminmahāhave

Translation

He struck him on the chest with a sharp-edged bhiṇḍipāla. Yet in that great battle, Viṣṇu, inconceivable in might, bore that blow as nothing.

Word by Word

• जघान: struck/killed
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• भिंडिपालेन: with a javelin (bhiṇḍipāla)
• भिंडिपालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिंडिपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• शितधारेण: with sharp-edged (one)
• शितधारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित-धार (प्रातिपदिक; शित + धार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) भिंडिपालेन

• वक्षसि: on the chest
• वक्षसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रहारम्: blow/strike
• प्रहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अचिंत्य: unthinkable/inconceivable
• अचिंत्य: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चिन्त्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चिन्त् + यत्, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् प्रहारम्

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महाहवे: in the great battle
• महाहवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-आहव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + आहव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तस्मिन् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce battlefield: Mathana hurls a sharp-edged bhiṇḍipāla into Viṣṇu’s chest; Viṣṇu stands unmoved, radiant and calm amid flying dust and clashing weapons.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mathana (implied attacker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is described as acintya—beyond ordinary measure—teaching that ultimate refuge is in the Divine who is untouched by hostile forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.