Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तदा देवासुरे युद्धे त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । भयेन महता युक्तं बभूव गतचेतनम्

Transliteration

tadā devāsure yuddhe trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | bhayena mahatā yuktaṃ babhūva gatacetanam

Translation

Alors, dans cette guerre entre Deva et Asura, les trois mondes—avec tout ce qui se meut et ce qui demeure immobile—furent saisis d’une grande peur, comme privés de conscience.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देवासुरे: in the (gods-and-demons)
• देवासुरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (देवाश्च असुराश्च) — ‘of gods and demons’

• युद्धे: battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः)

• सचराचरम्: with all moving and unmoving beings
• सचराचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः — ‘moving and unmoving’ (qualifying त्रैलोक्यम्)

• भयेन: with fear
• भयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); भयेन सह विशेषणम्

• युक्तम्: possessed (by)
• युक्तम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; धातु √युज्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); भूतकृदन्त — ‘joined/possessed’

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• गतचेतनम्: as if unconscious (with consciousness gone)
• गतचेतनम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम्, क्त) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); बहुव्रीहिः — ‘यस्य चेतना गता’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The battlefield’s shockwave spreads beyond combatants: the three worlds—animals, trees, gods, and spirits—freeze in fear, as if consciousness itself has been stunned.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Asura
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma disturbs not only individuals but the whole cosmic order; peace (śānti) is a sacred duty sustaining the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the larger setting of Kedārakhaṇḍa, but this verse highlights the cosmic impact of war rather than a site’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.