Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अथाब्रवीत्सहस्राक्षो महिषं वीक्ष्य गर्वितम् । गर्जमानांस्तथा दैत्यान्क्ष्वेडनास्फोटनादिभिः

Transliteration

athābravītsahasrākṣo mahiṣaṃ vīkṣya garvitam | garjamānāṃstathā daityānkṣveḍanāsphoṭanādibhiḥ

Translation

Alors Sahasrākṣa (Indra), voyant Mahiṣa enflé d’orgueil—et les Daityas rugissant entre huées, claquements de mains et autres clameurs—prit la parole.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक/अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; then/thereupon)

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• sahasrākṣaḥ: Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• sahasrākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sahasrāṇi akṣīṇi yasya/one with thousand eyes)

• mahiṣam: the buffalo (demon)
• mahiṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having seen’

• garvitam: proud
• garvitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garvita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from garv)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे क्त (past participial adjective)

• garjamānān: roaring
• garjamānān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garj (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; शतृ (present active participle)

• tathā: thus/also
• tathā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus/so)

• daityān: the Daityas (demons)
• daityān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• kṣveḍana-asphoṭana-ādibhiḥ: with hissing, clapping, and the like
• kṣveḍana-asphoṭana-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣveḍana + asphoṭana + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; ‘...and the like’ (ādi)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa, Śakra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Sahasrākṣa) faces the proud Mahiṣa and jeering Daityas; the asuras clap, shout, and roar while Indra prepares to speak, the battlefield tense with dust and banners.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Śakra)
• Mahiṣa
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and mockery precede downfall; dharma is defended through rightful speech and decisive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is explicitly praised in this line; it forms part of the larger tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.