Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

चापान्यन्यानि संगृह्य यावन्मुंचंति सायकान् । तावद्बाणं समाधाय कालानलसमप्रभम्

Transliteration

cāpānyanyāni saṃgṛhya yāvanmuṃcaṃti sāyakān | tāvadbāṇaṃ samādhāya kālānalasamaprabham

Translation

Tandis qu’ils saisissaient d’autres arcs et continuaient de décocher leurs traits, lui, cependant, ajusta sur son arc une flèche flamboyante, pareille au feu de Kāla lors de la dissolution des âges.

Word by Word

• चापानि: bows
• चापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (चापानि)

• संगृह्य: having gathered/taken up
• संगृह्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• मुंचन्ति: they release
• मुंचन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• तावत्: so long / then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• बाणम्: an arrow
• बाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समाधाय: having fixed/placed (on the bow)
• समाधाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• कालानलसमप्रभम्: having a radiance like the fire of Time (cosmic conflagration)
• कालानलसमप्रभम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + अनल + सम + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक); (कालानल-सम-प्रभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (बाणम्); समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपमान-निर्देश: 'कालानलस्य समा प्रभा यस्य')

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior draws a singular arrow, glowing like the fire at the end of time, while opponents hurriedly seize other bows and keep shooting; the focal point is the lone kālāgni-like shaft poised on the string.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Kālānala (cosmic fire metaphor)
• Daitya (Tāraka implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma escalates in intensity; the Purāṇa uses apocalyptic imagery to show why only a divinely ordained solution can restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.