Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 172

Devanagari script

नारायणं च सप्तत्या नवत्या च हुताशनम् । दशभिर्मारुतं मूर्ध्नि यमं दशभिरेव च

Transliteration

nārāyaṇaṃ ca saptatyā navatyā ca hutāśanam | daśabhirmārutaṃ mūrdhni yamaṃ daśabhireva ca

Translation

Il frappa Nārāyaṇa de soixante-dix flèches, Agni de quatre-vingt-dix; il perça Māruta à la tête de dix, et Yama aussi de dix.

Word by Word

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सप्तत्या: with seventy (arrows)
• सप्तत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-शब्द (instrumental: 'with seventy')

• नवत्या: with ninety (arrows)
• नवत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-शब्द (instrumental: 'with ninety')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हुताशनम्: Hutāśana (Agni)
• हुताशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• दशभिः: with ten (arrows)
• दशभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (instrumental: 'with ten')

• मारुतम्: Māruta (Vāyu)
• मारुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• दशभिः: with ten (arrows)
• दशभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A daitya-archer in a chariot releases rapid volleys: Nārāyaṇa, Agni, Vāyu, and Yama are each shown struck by multiple arrows—Agni’s flames disturbed, Vāyu reeling with a head-wound, Yama’s staff lowered—amid a stormy battlefield sky.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Agni (Hutāśana)
• Māruta (Vāyu)
• Yama
• Tāraka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic battles portray the scale of adharma’s assault—even upon cosmic guardians—highlighting the need for a higher, Skanda-centered restoration of order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.