Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्र दैत्यैर्महाघोरैर्मयतारपुरोगमैः । ताडितास्ते सुरास्त्रस्ता विष्णुं वै शरणं ययुः

Transliteration

tatra daityairmahāghorairmayatārapurogamaiḥ | tāḍitāste surāstrastā viṣṇuṃ vai śaraṇaṃ yayuḥ

Translation

Là, frappés par les daityas d’une effroyable violence, conduits par Mayatāra, les dieux, saisis d’effroi, allèrent chercher refuge auprès de Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशार्थक-अव्यय (there)

• दैत्यैः: by the demons
• दैत्यैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (by the demons)

• महाघोरैः: very fierce
• महाघोरैः: Kartr (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक); महाघोर (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (very terrible)

• मयतारपुरोगमैः: led by Maya-Tāra
• मयतारपुरोगमैः: Kartr (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयतार + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक); मयतारपुरोगम (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (having Maya-Tāra as leader/going in front)

• ताडिताः: struck
• ताडिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ताड् (धातु) → ताडित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (struck/afflicted)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (they)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्रस्ताः: frightened
• त्रस्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √त्रस् (धातु) → त्रस्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (frightened)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे द्वितीया (as refuge)

• ययुः: went
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), contextually narrating the Revā-khaṇḍa account to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu as Śaraṇa (conceptual tīrtha-anchor)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Terrified devas, bruised and disordered from battle, gather and move toward Viṣṇu; Mayatāra and grim daityas loom behind, creating a stark contrast between chaos and the calm refuge of the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Mayatāra
• Devas
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in the Divine—is presented as the dhārmic response when overwhelmed by भय (fear) and adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse advances the Revā Khaṇḍa storyline that undergirds the sanctity of the region and its sacred accounts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the act emphasized is surrender (seeking refuge in Viṣṇu).