Shloka 11

भद्रवटगमनम् — स्कन्देन महिषदानवनिग्रहः

Bhadravaṭa Procession and Skanda’s Neutralization of Mahiṣa

Devanagari script

सुभीममतिभीम॑ं च भीम॑ भीमबलाबलम्‌ | एतान्‌ यज्ञमुष: पज्च देवानां हासृजत्‌ तप:

Transliteration

subhīmam atibhīmaṃ ca bhīmaṃ bhīmabalābalam | etān yajñamuṣaḥ pañca devānāṃ hāsṛjat tapaḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya dit : «Tapaḥ (Tapas, l’ascèse personnifiée) fit naître ces cinq “voleurs de yajña” : Subhīma, Atibhīma, Bhīma, Bhīmabala et Abala—des êtres qui troublent et ruinent les rites sacrificiels des dieux.» Ce passage souligne que même l’ordre divin—le yajña, pilier du dharma cosmique et social—peut être menacé par des forces d’obstruction, et qu’il faut vigilance et juste discipline rituelle pour préserver l’acte sacré du sabotage.

Word by Word

• सुभीमम्: Su-bhīma (very/auspiciously terrible one; a name)
• सुभीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अतिभीमम्: Ati-bhīma (exceedingly terrible one; a name)
• अतिभीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिभीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भीमम्: Bhīma (terrible one; a name)
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भीम: O Bhīma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भीमबलाबलम्: Bhīmabala and Abala (as a pair/name; lit. 'terrible-strength and weakness')
• भीमबलाबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम-बल-अबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एतान्: these (ones)
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• यज्ञमुषः: Yajñamuṣ (the 'sacrificestealer'; a name/epithet)
• यज्ञमुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञमुष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्च

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हा: alas!/indeed (exclamation/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा

• असृजत्: created, produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तपः: Tapas (a being named 'Tapas' / austerity personified)
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Tapaḥ (personified ascetic power)
• Subhīma
• Atibhīma
• Bhīma
• Bhīmabala
• Abala
• Devas (gods)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that yajña (sacred, dharma-sustaining action) can be undermined by disruptive forces; therefore, maintaining ritual integrity, discipline, and protective measures is essential to preserve cosmic and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates a creation episode: Tapaḥ generates five beings described as ‘yajñamuṣaḥ’—spoilers of the gods’ sacrifices—named Subhīma, Atibhīma, Bhīma, Bhīmabala, and Abala.