Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

इति चिंतापरो दैत्यः शुश्राव कटुकाक्षरम् । देवबंदिभिरुद्वुष्टं घोरं हृदयदारणम्

Transliteration

iti ciṃtāparo daityaḥ śuśrāva kaṭukākṣaram | devabaṃdibhirudvuṣṭaṃ ghoraṃ hṛdayadāraṇam

Translation

Thus, absorbed in anxious thought, the Daitya heard harsh words—cried aloud by the bards of the gods—terrible and heart-rending.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ciṃtā-paraḥ: absorbed in thought
• ciṃtā-paraḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (चिन्तायां परः = intent on thought)

• daityaḥ: the demon
• daityaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śuśrāva: heard
• śuśrāva: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kaṭuka-akṣaram: a harsh utterance/word
• kaṭuka-akṣaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭuka (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमास (कटुकम् अक्षरम्)

• deva-baṃdibhiḥ: by the bards of the gods
• deva-baṃdibhiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + baṃdin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (देवानां बन्दिनः)

• udvuṣṭam: uttered
• udvuṣṭam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud√vās/ud√vas (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘uttered/proclaimed’

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (agreeing with ‘kaṭukākṣaram’)

• hṛdaya-dāraṇam: heart-rending
• hṛdaya-dāraṇam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक) + dāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (हृदयस्य दारणम् = heart-rending)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The anxious asura hears a sudden, harsh proclamation from divine bards—words like thunderbolts—his posture stiffening as the sound strikes his heart.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Deva-bards

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine praise and proclamation expose the insecurity of adharma; the unrighteous are shaken even by words that announce dharma’s protector.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the focus is on the gods’ proclamation and the Daitya’s reaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the ensuing hymn/praise.