Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

निरस्तं देववृंदं तत्स्वर्लोकादवनीतले । मनुष्यवद्विचरते महिषासुरबाधितम्

Transliteration

nirastaṃ devavṛṃdaṃ tatsvarlokādavanītale | manuṣyavadvicarate mahiṣāsurabādhitam

Translation

Chassée, cette troupe de dieux tomba du ciel sur la terre; et, tourmentée par l’asura Mahiṣāsura, elle errait comme de simples mortels.

Word by Word

• निरस्तम्: cast down, driven away
• निरस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु) + निरस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular

• देववृन्दम्: the host of gods
• देववृन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां वृन्दम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Genitive-tatpurusha, Neuter, Acc Singular

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Pronoun, Neuter, Acc Singular

• स्वर्लोकात्: from heaven-world
• स्वर्लोकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वरस्य लोकः), पुँल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; Tatpurusha, Masculine, Ablative Singular

• अवनीतले: on the surface of the earth
• अवनीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अवनेः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Tatpurusha, Neuter, Locative Singular

• मनुष्यवत्: like humans
• मनुष्यवत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानार्थे), तद्धितान्त-वत्; Indeclinable of comparison ('like')

• विचरते: moves about, wanders
• विचरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, Ātmanepada, 3rd person singular

• महिषासुरबाधितम्: afflicted by the buffalo-demon (Mahiṣāsura)
• महिषासुरबाधितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिषासुर (प्रातिपदिक; महिष + असुर) + बाधित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (महिषासुरेण बाधितम्), भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Instrumental-tatpurusha, Past passive participle, Neuter Acc Singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Setu Māhātmya episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ) implied in surrounding address

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fallen host of devas, stripped of celestial splendor, wander on earth in distress while the buffalo-demon’s shadow looms; the sea-horizon hints at Setu’s liminality.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Svarga
• Pṛthivī (earth)
• Mahiṣāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial power can be eclipsed by adharma; refuge in divine order (dharma) and the Supreme aid becomes necessary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Setu Māhātmya (Rāmeśvaram–Setu region), though this verse itself sets the crisis that leads to divine intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa) is stated in this verse.