Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कालनेमिर्नश्चैव प्रानृत्यत महारणे । असंमूढस्ततो विष्णुस्त्वराकाल उपस्थिते

Transliteration

kālanemirnaścaiva prānṛtyata mahāraṇe | asaṃmūḍhastato viṣṇustvarākāla upasthite

Translation

In that great battle, Kālanemi too was destroyed, writhing and staggering as he fell. Then Viṣṇu, unbewildered and fully composed, acted at once as the decisive moment arrived.

Word by Word

• कालनेमिः: Kālanemi
• कालनेमिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālanemi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नश्: not
• नश्: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naś (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle) = ‘न’ (Vedic/poetic form)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• प्रानृत्यत: danced about, capered
• प्रानृत्यत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √nṛt (नृत् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• महारणे: in the great battle
• महारणे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महद् रणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• असंमूढः: unbewildered, unconfused
• असंमूढः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + sammūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेध; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विष्णुः’ इति विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (then)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• त्वराकाले: at the time of haste
• त्वराकाले: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvarā + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्वरायाः कालः / त्वराकालः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• उपस्थिते: when (it) had come/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + √sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘उपस्थित’; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālanemi collapses on the churned earth, limbs twisting as life leaves him; nearby, Viṣṇu stands unwavering—eyes clear, posture steady—ready to strike at the exact turning-point of the battle.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous power acts without delusion: steadiness of mind and timely action support the victory of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a battle-narrative segment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this shloka; it focuses on the unfolding of the battle.