Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्यासीत्तुमुलं युद्धं भार्गवेण समं महत् । त्रयोविंशद्दिनान्येव देवासुररणोपमम् । अंबाकृते शितैः शस्त्रैरस्त्रैश्च तदनंतरम्

Transliteration

tasyāsīttumulaṃ yuddhaṃ bhārgaveṇa samaṃ mahat | trayoviṃśaddinānyeva devāsuraraṇopamam | aṃbākṛte śitaiḥ śastrairastraiśca tadanaṃtaram

Translation

Il livra au Bhārgava une bataille immense et tumultueuse, d’égale puissance, durant vingt-trois jours, semblable à la guerre des dieux et des asuras. Ensuite, pour Ambā, il engagea le combat avec des armes tranchantes et des astra célestes.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tumulam: fierce/tumultuous
• tumulam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tumula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yuddham)

• yuddham: battle
• yuddham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject complement with āsīt)

• bhārgaveṇa: with Bhārgava (Paraśurāma)
• bhārgaveṇa: Sahakāraka (Co-agent/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samam: together/with
• samam: Sahakāraka (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘समम्’ = सह/समानम् (adverb/preposition-like: together/with)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yuddham)

• trayo-viṃśat: twenty-three
• trayo-viṃśat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trayas (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक समास (copulative numeral: 3+20=23); अत्र विशेषण (qualifying dināni)

• dināni: days
• dināni: Kāla-adhikarana (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (duration)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• deva-asura-raṇa-upamam: like the gods-vs-demons war
• deva-asura-raṇa-upamam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + raṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (devāsurayoḥ raṇam iva = like the battle of gods and demons), विशेषण (qualifying yuddham)

• aṃbā-kṛte: for Ambā’s sake
• aṃbā-kṛte: Hetu (Cause/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃbā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (प्रातिपदिक; kta from √kṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (aṃbāyāḥ kṛte = for Ambā’s sake)

• śitaiḥ: sharp
• śitaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śastraiḥ)

• śastraiḥ: with weapons
• śastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• astraiḥ: with missiles/astral weapons
• astraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• tad: that
• tad: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (refers to the battle)

• anantaram: immediately thereafter
• anantaram: Kāla-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anantara (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: immediately after)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast battlefield where Bhīṣma and the Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) duel for twenty-three days; chariots, bows, divine missiles, and a looming sense of Ambā’s grievance behind the clash.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhārgava (Paraśurāma)
• Ambā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha narrative is anchored in Itihāsa memory, portraying dharma and destiny as forces shaping sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The battle context is part of the lead-up to the Sūrya installation at the kṣetra described in Adhyāya 57.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse recounts historical-epic events used to frame the tīrtha’s story.