Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

दंडं यमादुपादाय मूर्ध्न्याहत्य न्यपातयत् । उरसाहत्य सगदं धनदं भुव्यपातयत्

Transliteration

daṃḍaṃ yamādupādāya mūrdhnyāhatya nyapātayat | urasāhatya sagadaṃ dhanadaṃ bhuvyapātayat

Translation

Il saisit le bâton de Yama et, le frappant au sommet du crâne, le fit tomber. Puis, heurtant à la poitrine Dhanada (Kubera) porteur de la massue, il le jeta à terre.

Word by Word

• दण्डम्: staff, rod
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यमात्: from Yama
• यमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादान

• उपादाय: having taken
• उपादाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+आ+दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘उपादाय’ = गृहीत्वा (having taken)

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

• आहत्य: having struck
• आहत्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• न्यपातयत्: made (him) fall down
• न्यपातयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+अव+पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘न्यपातयत्’ = अपातयत् (made fall down)

• उरसā: with/on the chest
• उरसā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• आहत्य: having struck
• आहत्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सगदम्: with a mace
• सगदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सगद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—गदेन सह (सह-तत्पुरुष)

• धनदम्: Dhanada (Kubera)
• धनदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—धनं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• अपातयत्: made (him) fall
• अपातयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka snatches Yama’s staff and cracks it down upon Yama’s head; Yama collapses. Immediately he smashes Kubera—mace in hand—on the chest and hurls him to the earth; scattered jewels and coins spill as a visual irony.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Yama
• Kubera (Dhanada)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma can violently disrupt cosmic governance (Yama) and prosperity (Kubera), showing why divine intervention becomes necessary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.