Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

रामप्रेरणया तेन बाहुयुद्धमथाकरोत् । ततो वालिनमाजघ्ने शरेणैकेन राघवः

Transliteration

rāmapreraṇayā tena bāhuyuddhamathākarot | tato vālinamājaghne śareṇaikena rāghavaḥ

Translation

Impulsado por Rāma, entabló entonces combate cuerpo a cuerpo. Luego Rāghava abatió a Vāli con una sola flecha.

Word by Word

• रामप्रेरणया: by Rāma’s urging
• रामप्रेरणया: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेरणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य प्रेरणा)

• तेन: by him/thereupon
• तेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun: by him/thereby)

• बाहुयुद्धम्: arm-to-arm fight
• बाहुयुद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बाहुभिः/बाहूनां युद्धम्)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (then/now)

• अकरोत्: did/made
• अकरोत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kāla/Sequence (Time/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/from then)

• वालिनम्: Vālin
• वालिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आजघ्ने: struck down/killed
• आजघ्ने: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• एकेन: with a single
• एकेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (शरस्य)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kiṣkindhā-kṣetra (Vāli-vadha-smṛti)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sugrīva and Vāli grapple in fierce hand-to-hand combat; from concealment/side, Rāma releases a single arrow that strikes Vāli; Lakṣmaṇa stands vigilant; forested rocky terrain of Kiṣkindhā surrounds them.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Vāli
• Sugrīva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma sometimes demands decisive intervention to restore order; power is meant to protect the wronged and uphold righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is part of the Setukhaṇḍa’s Rāma-cycle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.