Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततो निमिषमात्रेण शरघातयुता भवन् । शरतोमरनाराचैराहताश्चापतन्भुवि

Transliteration

tato nimiṣamātreṇa śaraghātayutā bhavan | śaratomaranārācairāhatāścāpatanbhuvi

Translation

Alors, en l’espace d’un clin d’œil, l’assaut des flèches redoubla; frappés par flèches, javelots et traits de fer, ils s’abattirent à terre.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘then/thereupon’

• निमिषमात्रेण: in just a moment
• निमिषमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘निमिषस्य मात्रम्’ इति; करण/कालपरिमाणे

• शरघातयुताः: joined with arrow-strikes (i.e., struck by arrows)
• शरघातयुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर + घात + युत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘शरघातेन युताः’ इति; √युज् ‘to join’ क्त-प्रत्यय (युत); विशेषण

• अभवन्: became
• अभवन्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √भू

• शरतोमरनाराचैः: with arrows, javelins, and darts
• शरतोमरनाराचैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + तोमर + नाराच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (arrows, javelins, iron darts); करणत्वे

• आहताः: struck, wounded
• आहताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + हन् (धातु) → आहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; √हन् ‘to strike’ + आ उपसर्ग; क्त-प्रत्यय; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• अपतन्: fell
• अपतन्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √पत् ‘to fall’

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘on the ground/earth’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In an instant the missile-storm thickens; warriors are struck by arrows, javelins, and iron shafts, collapsing to the earth amid dust and shattered weapons.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and pride collapse swiftly; the Purāṇic lens reminds that worldly might is momentary before divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the textual setting, but the verse is martial narration rather than explicit tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.