Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गरुत्मानवधीत्सैन्यमवध्यं यत्सुरासुरैः । कृष्णेन द्विगुणास्तस्य प्रेषिताः स्वशिलीमुखाः

Transliteration

garutmānavadhītsainyamavadhyaṃ yatsurāsuraiḥ | kṛṣṇena dviguṇāstasya preṣitāḥ svaśilīmukhāḥ

Translation

ಸುರಾಸುರರೂ ಅವಧ್ಯವೆಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿದ ಆ ಸೇನೆಯನ್ನು ಗರುತ್ಮಾನ್ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದನು; ಕೃಷ್ಣನು ಅವನ ಮೇಲೆ ತನ್ನ ಶಿಲೀಮುಖಗಳನ್ನು ದ್ವಿಗುಣವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• garutmān: Garuḍa
• garutmān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garutmān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• avadhīt: killed / struck down
• avadhīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vadh (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• sainyam: the army
• sainyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• avadhyam: unkillable, not to be slain
• avadhyam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avadhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sainyam)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd); एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• sura-asuraiḥ: by gods and demons
• sura-asuraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• kṛṣṇena: by Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• dviguṇāḥ: double (in number/strength)
• dviguṇāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numerical); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śilīmukhāḥ)

• tasya: of him / his
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• preṣitāḥ: sent forth, discharged
• preṣitāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: preṣita (प्रातिपदिक; √iṣ/√preṣ क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (sent/shot forth)

• sva-śilīmukhāḥ: his own barbed arrows
• sva-śilīmukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śilīmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied śrotṛs; internal focus on Kṛṣṇa’s side

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa swoops with outstretched wings, scattering an ‘invincible’ army; beside/behind, Kṛṣṇa releases a doubled volley of arrows, forming symmetrical streams toward the foe.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Kṛṣṇa
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine aid (Garuḍa) and divine will together overcome what appears unconquerable—dharma is supported by higher forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region narrative; no single tīrtha is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.