Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भूयो महासुरो जातो माहिषं वेषमाश्रितः । ततः क्रुद्धा भद्रकाली महत्पानमसेवत

Transliteration

bhūyo mahāsuro jāto māhiṣaṃ veṣamāśritaḥ | tataḥ kruddhā bhadrakālī mahatpānamasevata

Translation

De nouveau le grand Asura se leva, prenant l’apparence d’un buffle. Alors Bhadrakālī, courroucée, s’adonna à une profonde libation d’hydromel, se préparant à l’affrontement décisif.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; once more
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘पुनः/अधिकम्’

• महासुरः: the great demon
• महासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर (प्रातिपदिक: महा + असुर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जातः: was born; arose
• जातः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उत्पन्नः’

• माहिषम्: buffalo (related)
• माहिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifying ‘वेषम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘महिषसम्बन्धि’

• वेषम्: guise; form; dress
• वेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आश्रितः: having assumed; having taken refuge in
• आश्रितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रयितः/गृहीतः’

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’

• क्रुद्धा: angered
• क्रुद्धा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण) (of ‘भद्रकाली’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कोपिता’

• भद्रकाली: Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक: भद्रा + काली)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महत्: great; much
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महान्’ (qualifying ‘पानम्’)

• पानम्: drinking; drink
• पानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• असेवत: she partook; she drank; she enjoyed
• असेवत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Rāma-setu/Rāmeśvara sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame, typical) / tīrtha-śrotṛs (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahīṣāsura reappears in buffalo form; Bhadrakālī, eyes fierce, prepares by drinking madhu before the climactic combat.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrakālī
• Mahīṣāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected when Śakti manifests with decisive force; arrogance that takes new forms is still overcome by divine resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region (Setukhaṇḍa) is the narrative frame; the episode supports the sanctity of Setu by associating it with divine victory and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata/dāna/snānā instruction appears in this verse; it is narrative description of the battle’s turning point.