Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मया गुप्तो रणे जंभो जगत्कंटकमुद्धर । तद्वैकुंठवचः श्रुत्वा सहस्राक्षोमरारिहा

Transliteration

mayā gupto raṇe jaṃbho jagatkaṃṭakamuddhara | tadvaikuṃṭhavacaḥ śrutvā sahasrākṣomarārihā

Translation

“In battle Jambha is protected by me; remove that thorn of the world.” Hearing these words of Vaikuṇṭha, Sahasrākṣa—the slayer of the enemies of the gods—prepared to act.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गुप्तः: protected/guarded
• गुप्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘जम्भः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जम्भः: Jambha
• जम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगत्कण्टकम्: thorn of the world (world’s scourge)
• जगत्कण्टकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः कण्टकः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उद्धर: remove/uproot
• उद्धर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object determiner/कर्म-निर्धारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वचः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• वैकुण्ठवचः: the words of Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• वैकुण्ठवचः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वैकुण्ठस्य वचः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having heard’

• सहस्राक्षः: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य सहस्रम् अक्षाणि सः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अमरारिहा: slayer of the enemies of the gods
• अमरारिहा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + अरि (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)→हा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अमराणाम् अरिं हन्ति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सहस्राक्षः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Keśava (Viṣṇu) (first half); Narrator (second half) (contextual: transition to Indra’s response)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu speaks as Vaikuṇṭha-lord, declaring that Jambha is ‘protected by me in battle’ and urging Indra to uproot the world’s thorn; Indra (Sahasrākṣa) stands poised with vajra, devas attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Jambha
• Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• Amaras (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The removal of a ‘thorn to the world’ happens with divine sanction—power is guided by higher wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is part of the cosmic conflict narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.