Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 173

Devanagari script

धनदं चैव सप्त्या वरुणं च तथाष्टभिः । विंशत्या निरृतिं दैत्यः पुनश्चाष्टभिरेव च

Transliteration

dhanadaṃ caiva saptyā varuṇaṃ ca tathāṣṭabhiḥ | viṃśatyā nirṛtiṃ daityaḥ punaścāṣṭabhireva ca

Translation

Le Daitya frappa Dhanada (Kubera) de sept flèches, Varuṇa de huit; il atteignit Nirṛti de vingt, puis encore de huit autres.

Word by Word

• धनदम्: Dhanada (Kubera)
• धनदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

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

• वरुणम्: Varuṇa
• वरुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/समुच्चय-अव्यय (adverb: 'likewise')

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

• विंशत्या: with twenty (arrows)
• विंशत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (instrumental: 'with twenty')

• निरृतिम्: Nirṛti
• निरृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• दैत्यः: the Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: 'again')

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

• अष्टभिः: with eight (arrows)
• अष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

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

• 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: The daitya’s arrows strike Kubera (Dhanada) amid scattered jewels, Varuṇa amid waves and a makara-banner, and Nirṛti in a dark, ominous aura; the count of arrows is suggested by clustered shafts embedded in armor and banners.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Varuṇa
• Nirṛti
• Tāraka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the guardians of the directions are shaken, the Purāṇa signals a cosmic imbalance that calls for divinely sanctioned re-establishment of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.