Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महिषासुरे महाकाये पुरा देवभयंकरे । शूलिन्या शूलभिन्नाङ्गे कृते दानवसत्तमे

Transliteration

mahiṣāsure mahākāye purā devabhayaṃkare | śūlinyā śūlabhinnāṅge kṛte dānavasattame

Translation

Autrefois, lorsque le gigantesque Mahiṣāsura, effroi des dieux, fut frappé par la Déesse au trident, ses membres déchirés par la pointe, ce chef des démons fut terrassé.

Word by Word

• महिषासुरे: in/with regard to Mahiṣāsura
• महिषासुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महाकाये: of huge body
• महाकाये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवभयंकरे: causing fear to the gods
• देवभयंकरे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शूलिन्या: by the trident-bearing (goddess)
• शूलिन्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शूलभिन्नाङ्गे: whose limbs were split by a trident
• शूलभिन्नाङ्गे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भिन्न (कृदन्त, √भिद्) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कृते: when (it was) done; upon (the act)
• कृते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘when done/when occurred’ (locative absolute sense)

• दानवसत्तमे: O best of demons
• दानवसत्तमे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandāhrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The trident-bearing Goddess pierces the massive buffalo-demon Mahiṣāsura; the battlefield is charged, with gods watching in relief as the demon falls.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣāsura
• Śūlinī (Trident-bearing Goddess, i.e., Devī/Nandā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is grounded in Devī’s protective victory over adharma, making the place a memorial of divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nandā-hrada indirectly, through its origin legend connected with Devī’s deed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the tīrtha’s mythic background.