Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73
अल्पाक्षरो न मंत्रः किं सस्फुरो दैत्य दृश्यते । एवमुक्त्वा दैत्यमुक्तं गृहीत्वा कंदुकं च तम्
alpākṣaro na maṃtraḥ kiṃ sasphuro daitya dṛśyate | evamuktvā daityamuktaṃ gṛhītvā kaṃdukaṃ ca tam
«Un mantra avec si peu de syllabes, est-ce donc un mantra ? Pourquoi ce démon tremble-t-il ainsi ?» Ayant parlé, il saisit le trait lancé par le daitya, comme s’il n’était qu’une simple balle.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages
Scene: Tāraka releases a blazing missile; Skanda, smiling, catches it mid-flight as if catching a child’s ball; the asura’s face shows shock and trembling.
FAQs
Divine power rooted in dharma renders hostile forces insignificant; true strength is effortless when aligned with cosmic order.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s heroic narration of Skanda.
None in this shloka; it is a battlefield episode emphasizing divine prowess.