Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा दानवः पार्थ वर्षयामास सायकैः । दानवस्य शरान्मुक्तान् छेदयामास केशवः

Transliteration

ityuktvā dānavaḥ pārtha varṣayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ | dānavasya śarānmuktān chedayāmāsa keśavaḥ

Translation

Ayant ainsi parlé, ô Pārtha, le dānava fit pleuvoir des flèches ; mais Keśava trancha les traits lancés par le dānava.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकाल (absolutive/gerund)

• dānavaḥ: the demon
• dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• pārtha: O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative); एकवचन

• varṣayāmāsa: caused to rain / showered
• varṣayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• sāyakaiḥ: with arrows
• sāyakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• dānavasya: of the demon
• dānavasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• śarān: arrows
• śarān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• muktān: released, shot
• muktān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक; √muc क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śarān)

• chedayāmāsa: cut down / severed
• chedayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha addressed within the verse; outer audience is the śrotṛ-gaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dānava unleashes a dense rain of arrows toward Arjuna’s side; Keśava stands poised, calmly severing the incoming shafts mid-flight, creating a glittering lattice of broken arrows in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Tālamēgha (implied)
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hostile force is rendered powerless before disciplined, divinely guided action; protection of dharma includes restraint and mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; the wider Revā Khaṇḍa situates the narrative in Narmadā’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.