Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वदनं पूरयामास दिव्यैस्त्रैर्महाबलः । स तैर्बाणैरभिहतो महिषोऽचलसंनिभः

Transliteration

vadanaṃ pūrayāmāsa divyaistrairmahābalaḥ | sa tairbāṇairabhihato mahiṣo'calasaṃnibhaḥ

Translation

ಮಹಾಬಲನು ಮೂರು ದಿವ್ಯ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ತನ್ನ ಮುಖವನ್ನು ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡನು. ಆ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಹೊಡೆತಪಟ್ಟು ಪರ್ವತಸಮಾನ ಮಹಿಷನು ಗಾಯಗೊಂಡನು.

Word by Word

• vadanam: mouth/face
• vadanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• pūrayāmāsa: filled
• pūrayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūraya (धातु √pṝ/पूर्, णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• divyaiḥ: with divine
• divyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• traiḥ: with three
• traiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• mahābalaḥ: the very strong one
• mahābalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् बलः यस्य/महाबलः)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• taiḥ: by those
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• bāṇaiḥ: with arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• abhihataḥ: struck/afflicted
• abhihataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi + √han (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahiṣaḥ: the buffalo(-demon)
• mahiṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• acala-saṃnibhaḥ: like a mountain
• acala-saṃnibhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala + saṃnibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अचलस्य संनिभः = mountain-like)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mighty warrior draws three radiant, divine arrows and, in a dramatic gesture, places them to his mouth (as if empowering/charging them) before releasing; the buffalo-demon Mahīṣa, huge as a mountain, reels as the shafts strike and wound him.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is precise and purposeful: it counters destructive appetite (devouring) with disciplined, dharmic force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.