Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

धनुषः शब्दनादेनाकम्पयच्च जगत्त्रयम् । स्थानं कृत्वा तु वैशाखं निभृतं संस्थितो हरः

Transliteration

dhanuṣaḥ śabdanādenākampayacca jagattrayam | sthānaṃ kṛtvā tu vaiśākhaṃ nibhṛtaṃ saṃsthito haraḥ

Translation

Par le fracas du claquement de son arc, Hara fit trembler les trois mondes. Puis, ayant pris sa place au mois de Vaiśākha, il demeura posé dans une profonde immobilité.

Word by Word

• dhanuṣaḥ: of the bow
• dhanuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• śabda-nādena: by the sound and roar
• śabda-nādena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—शब्दश्च नादश्च

• akampayat: made (it) tremble
• akampayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kamp (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• jagat-trayam: the three worlds
• jagat-trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगुः—त्रयाणि जगन्ति (three worlds as a unit)

• sthānaṃ: a posture/position
• sthānaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having assumed/made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावकृदन्त (gerund)

• tu: then, however
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनन्तरबोधक (but/then)

• vaiśākhaṃ: Vaiśākha (named)
• vaiśākhaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśākha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (sthānaṃ)

• nibhṛtaṃ: calm, restrained, steady
• nibhṛtaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nibhṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (sthānaṃ)

• saṃsthitaḥ: stood firmly, was stationed
• saṃsthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-sthā (धातु) → saṃsthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) Vaiśākha-snāna context (general)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-moment tableau: the bow’s thunderous twang ripples through the cosmos, then Śiva stands utterly still in Vaiśākha—silence like a mountain after lightning.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Vaiśākha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s controlled power—immense might held within perfect stillness—models disciplined dharma and yogic restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā-khaṇḍa framework, the wider sacred geography centers on the Revā (Narmadā) region, though this verse itself focuses on Tripura-saṃhāra imagery rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; Vaiśākha is highlighted, implying seasonal/monthly sacredness commonly associated with vrata, snāna, and dāna in Purāṇic practice.