Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

युयुधे परमास्त्रेण नैरृत्यं च विडंबयन् । योगिनीचक्रसंयुक्तो भैरवो नायको महान्

Transliteration

yuyudhe paramāstreṇa nairṛtyaṃ ca viḍaṃbayan | yoginīcakrasaṃyukto bhairavo nāyako mahān

Translation

Maniant l’arme suprême, il poursuivit le combat en couvrant Nairṛta de honte; et le grand Bhairava, chef puissant, se tenait entouré du cercle des Yoginīs.

Word by Word

• युयुधे: fought
• युयुधे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ātmanepada

• परमास्त्रेण: with the supreme weapon
• परमास्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘with the supreme weapon’

• नैरृत्यम्: Nairṛtya (the Nairṛta)
• नैरृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विडंबयन्: mocking/deriding
• विडंबयन्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+डम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agreeing with subject

• योगिनीचक्रसंयुक्तः: joined with the yoginī-circle
• योगिनीचक्रसंयुक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (सम्+युज्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) used adjectivally; ‘joined with the circle of yoginīs’

• भैरवः: Bhairava
• भैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• नायकः: leader
• नायकः: Karta (Appositive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; apposition

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; विशेषण

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava, towering and radiant, stands as nāyaka with a surrounding wheel of Yoginīs; he unleashes a supreme missile, subduing Nairṛta with effortless dominance; the air crackles with mantra-weapon light.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Yoginī-cakra (Circle of Yoginīs)
• Nairṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhairava symbolizes protective, corrective divine power—supported by yogic energies (Yoginīs)—that subdues forces opposed to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the textual setting; Bhairava also resonates with Kṣetrapāla traditions at many Śaiva tīrthas, but no single site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.