Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

विष्णुश्च दैत्येंद्रशरार्दितो भृशं भुशुंडिमादाय कृतांततुल्याम् । तया मुखं चास्य पिपेष संख्ये शुंभस्य जत्रुं च धराधराभम्

Transliteration

viṣṇuśca daityeṃdraśarārdito bhṛśaṃ bhuśuṃḍimādāya kṛtāṃtatulyām | tayā mukhaṃ cāsya pipeṣa saṃkhye śuṃbhasya jatruṃ ca dharādharābham

Translation

Viṣṇu, grievously struck by the demon-king’s arrows, seized a bhuśuṇḍī mace, like Death itself; with it in the melee he crushed his face, and shattered Śuṃbha’s mountain-like collarbones.

Word by Word

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• daityendraśarārditaḥ: afflicted by the demon-lord’s arrows
• daityendraśarārditaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daitya-indra-śara-ardita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle (क्त) from √ard 'to afflict' with compound: daitya (demon) + indra (lord) + śara (arrow)

• bhṛśam: greatly
• bhṛśam: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb

• bhuśuṇḍim: a club/mace (bhuśuṇḍī)
• bhuśuṇḍim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuśuṇḍī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त)

• kṛtāṃtatulyām: equal to Death
• kṛtāṃtatulyām: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtānta-tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; qualifying bhuśuṇḍīm; compound: kṛtānta (Death) + tulya (equal)

• tayā: with that (weapon)
• tayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; pronoun referring to bhuśuṇḍī

• mukham: face
• mukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; pronoun 'of him'

• pipeṣa: crushed
• pipeṣa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √piṣ (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• saṃkhye: in battle
• saṃkhye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• śuṃbhasya: of Śuṃbha
• śuṃbhasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• jatrum: collarbone/neck-joint
• jatrum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jatrū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• dharādharābham: mountain-like
• dharādharābham: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharā-dhara-ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifying jatrum; compound: dharā (earth) + dhara (mountain/bearer) + ābha (like)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, wounded by the demon-king’s arrows, seizes a bhuśuṇḍī mace like embodied Death and smashes the demon’s face, then shatters Śuṃbha’s collarbones, huge as mountain ridges.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śuṃbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection of cosmic order is decisive—when adharma strikes, dharma responds with irresistible force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.