Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानां विचरन्त्यो भयानकाः । चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः

Transliteration

skandakroḍanṛsiṃhānāṃ vicarantyo bhayānakāḥ | cakraśūlagadākhaḍgavajraśaktyṛṣṭipaṭṭiśaiḥ

Translation

Effrayantes dans leur course—telles Skanda, le Sanglier (Varāha) et Narasiṃha—elles portaient disque, trident, massue, épée, foudre, lance, pique et haches de guerre.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानाम्: of Skanda, Varāha (Kroḍa), and Narasiṃha
• स्कन्दक्रोडनृसिंहानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + क्रोड + नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘-आनाम्’ = of; सूची-द्वन्द्व

• विचरन्त्यः: roaming; moving about
• विचरन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मातरः)

• भयानकाः: terrifying
• भयानकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (विचरन्त्यः/मातरः)

• चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः: with discs, tridents, maces, swords, thunderbolts, spears, lances, and axes
• चक्रशूलगदाखड्गवज्रशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + शूल + गदा + खड्ग + वज्र + शक्ति + ऋष्टि + पट्टिश (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सूची-द्वन्द्व; करण-भाव

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātṛkās roaming in terrifying splendor, their silhouettes echoing Skanda’s commander stance, Varāha’s brute force, and Narasiṃha’s ferocity; weapons glint—chakra, śūla, gadā, khaḍga, vajra, śakti, ṛṣṭi, paṭṭiśa.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkās (Mother-goddesses)
• Skanda
• Varāha (Kroḍa)
• Narasiṃha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine protects dharma through multiple forms; the same sacred power appears as different avatāric and martial energies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Revā/Narmadā sacred circuit is the setting; the verse itself is descriptive rather than tīrtha-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on iconography and divine armaments.