Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

बलवान्नमुचिर्नाम दानवो बलवत्तरः । खड्गचर्मधरः शीघ्रं महेश्वरमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

balavānnamucirnāma dānavo balavattaraḥ | khaḍgacarmadharaḥ śīghraṃ maheśvaramupādravat

Translation

Un Dānava puissant nommé Namuci, plus fort encore que les autres, portant épée et bouclier, se rua promptement pour attaquer Maheśvara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• बलवान्: strong
• बलवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नमुचिः: Namuci
• नमुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — ‘named/called’

• दानवः: a Dānava (demon)
• दानवः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बलवत्तरः: stronger
• बलवत्तरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• खड्गचर्मधरः: bearing sword and shield
• खड्गचर्मधरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वितीया-तत्पुरुषः (खड्गं चर्म च धरति = bearing sword and shield)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचनरूपेण प्रयोगः

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपाद्रवत्: rushed at/attacked
• उपाद्रवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु) + उप-आ-
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (sectional locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Namuci, towering and muscular, rushes forward with raised sword and broad shield; dust swirls around his feet; in the distance stands Maheśvara’s calm, unshaken presence, contrasting frenzy and stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Namuci
• Dānava
• Śiva (Maheśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogant power that turns against the Divine is shown as self-destructive, setting the stage for dharma’s reassertion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing Bhadrakarṇa tīrtha narrative is being framed through the battle involving Śiva and his attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative verse describing a mythic assault.