Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सुरैर्विद्रावितं सैन्यं विलोक्य पतितं भुवि । वीरभद्रो रुपाविष्टो विष्णुं वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

surairvidrāvitaṃ sainyaṃ vilokya patitaṃ bhuvi | vīrabhadro rupāviṣṭo viṣṇuṃ vacanamabravīt

Translation

Voyant l’armée, mise en déroute par les dieux et gisant à terre, Vīrabhadra—revêtant une forme terrible—s’adressa à Viṣṇu en ces paroles.

Word by Word

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विद्रावितम्: routed/driven away
• विद्रावितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + √द्रु/द्राव् (धातु) caus. द्रावय् + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; णिच्-कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त: ‘caused to flee/driven away’

• सैन्यम्: the army
• सैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यबन्त), पूर्वकाल — Gerund: 'having seen/observed'

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; ‘fallen’

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर + भद्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारय-नाम: ‘Vīrabhadra’

• रूपाविष्टः: having assumed a form
• रूपाविष्टः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; आ + √विश् (धातु) + क्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: रूपेण आविष्टः ‘possessed/entered by a form’ (i.e., assuming a form)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वचनम्: words/speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Active

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devastated battlefield with fallen troops; gods stand victorious. Vīrabhadra, assuming a terrifying form—wild hair, blazing eyes, weapons—turns toward Viṣṇu and begins a charged address.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras)
• Vīrabhadra
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narratives often dramatize tensions between divine powers to reveal the supremacy of cosmic order and the eventual restoration of harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra region as framed by Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse functions as scene-setting for a dialogue and confrontation.