Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

दानवेन्द्रं तदा चक्रे गंधर्वास्त्रं महाद्भुतम् । ततोऽस्य तेजसा व्याप्तमभूद्गनगोचरम्

Transliteration

dānavendraṃ tadā cakre gaṃdharvāstraṃ mahādbhutam | tato'sya tejasā vyāptamabhūdganagocaram

Translation

Then he employed the wondrous Gandharva-weapon against the Dānava lord. Thereupon, by its blazing power, the sky and battlefield were pervaded, as though within the range of the gaṇa-hosts.

Word by Word

• दानवेन्द्रम्: the lord of the demons
• दानवेन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: दानवानाम् इन्द्रः (lord of demons)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• चक्रे: made/produced
• चक्रे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• गन्धर्वास्त्रम्: the Gandharva weapon
• गन्धर्वास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गन्धर्वाणाम् अस्त्रम्

• महाद्भुतम्: very wonderful
• महाद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: महत् अद्भुतम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying गन्धर्वास्त्रम्)

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक/क्रम-अव्यय (thereupon/from that)

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• तेजसा: by (its) brilliance
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded/spread
• व्याप्तम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोगे भाव/कर्मवाच्य

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• गनगोचरम्: within the range of the hosts (of beings)
• गनगोचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गणानां गोचरः (within the range of hosts); विशेषणम् (qualifying व्याप्तम्/अस्त्रम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant weapon-release: the Gandharva-astra manifests as shimmering celestial formations; the air glows, and the sky seems populated by gaṇas/hosts moving through the light.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavendra (Jambha)
• Gandharvāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power (tejas) is portrayed as overwhelming and world-filling; righteous authority is shown as possessing higher means when ordinary force fails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.