Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

द्रवमाणस्य तस्याशु राक्षसस्य सुदर्शनम् । शिरश्चकर्त सहसा ज्वालामालादुरासदम्

Transliteration

dravamāṇasya tasyāśu rākṣasasya sudarśanam | śiraścakarta sahasā jvālāmālādurāsadam

Translation

Tandis que ce rākṣasa s’enfuyait à toute hâte, Sudarśana—inabordable, ceint d’une guirlande de flammes—lui trancha aussitôt la tête.

Word by Word

• द्रवमाणस्य: of the fleeing one
• द्रवमाणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रवत्/द्रव (धातु: द्रु-गत्यादौ; कृदन्त: शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषणम्; वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (द्रवमाण); पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम्; ‘of (him) who is running/fleeing’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम्

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• राक्षसस्य: of the demon
• राक्षसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम्

• सुदर्शनम्: Sudarśana (the discus)
• सुदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; (विष्णोः चक्रनाम)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• चकर्त: cut off
• चकर्त: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; ‘he cut/made’

• सहसा: suddenly, forcefully
• सहसा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• ज्वालामाला-दुरासदम्: hard to approach, wreathed in flames
• ज्वालामाला-दुरासदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + दुरासद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष); ‘ज्वालामाला’ (flame-garland) इति पूर्वपदेन विशेषितं ‘दुरासद’ (hard to approach); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; सुदर्शनम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Setukhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fleeing rākṣasa is overtaken by the blazing Sudarśana cakra, encircled by a garland of flames; in a single instant the head is severed, the body collapsing to earth as firelight arcs across the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Sudarśana
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection swiftly removes obstacles when dharma is upheld and the devotee is under the Lord’s shelter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa context points to the Dharma-tīrtha within the Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setu) sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it narrates Sudarśana’s act of protection.