Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

गदामुद्यम्य संक्रुद्धो योद्धुमागाज्जनार्द्दनम् । तमुद्यतगदं दृष्ट्वा निहतं जीवितं पुनः

Transliteration

gadāmudyamya saṃkruddho yoddhumāgājjanārddanam | tamudyatagadaṃ dṛṣṭvā nihataṃ jīvitaṃ punaḥ

Translation

Lifting up his mace in fury, he came to fight Janardana. Seeing him with mace raised, the Lord struck him down—yet he regained life again.

Word by Word

• gadām: mace
• gadām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• udyamya: having raised
• udyamya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yam (यम्) उपसर्गः उद्
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• saṃkruddhaḥ: enraged
• saṃkruddhaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃkruddha (कृदन्त, √krudh क्रुध् with sam-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• yoddhum: to fight
• yoddhum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yudh (युध्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• āgāt: came/approached
• āgāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) उपसर्गः आ
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• janārdanam: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārdanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• udyata-gadam: with mace raised
• udyata-gadam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udyata (कृदन्त, √yam यम् with ud-) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘उद्यता गदा यस्य/उद्यतां गदां धारयन्’)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• nihatam: killed/destroyed
• nihatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nihata (कृदन्त, √han हन् with ni-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Dānava charges with a raised mace toward Janārdana; the Lord strikes him down, yet the foe rises again—an uncanny loop of battle and revival.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Kuśa
• Gadā (mace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without humility leads to repeated downfall; the Purāṇic theme warns that boons can prolong conflict when driven by ego and anger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to Dvārakā-māhātmya, situating these events in the sacred sphere of Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is present in this verse.