Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

येन ध्वस्ता धार्तराष्ट्रास्तं निराकृत्य मां नृप । पुरुषोत्तमं कृष्णमिति ब्रवीषि किमु मूढवत्

Transliteration

yena dhvastā dhārtarāṣṭrāstaṃ nirākṛtya māṃ nṛpa | puruṣottamaṃ kṛṣṇamiti bravīṣi kimu mūḍhavat

Translation

“ಹೇ ರಾಜನೇ, ಧಾರ್ತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರರು ಧ್ವಸ್ತರಾದದ್ದು ನನ್ನಿಂದ; ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣನನ್ನು ‘ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ’ ಎಂದು ಏಕೆ ಮೂಢನಂತೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತೀ?”

Word by Word

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dhvastāḥ: destroyed
• dhvastāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhvaṃs (ध्वंस्, नाशे) क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त (PPP)

• dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ: the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārtarāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nirākṛtya: having rejected / setting aside
• nirākṛtya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nis+ā+√kṛ (कृ, करणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• puruṣottamam: Puruṣottama
• puruṣottamam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय समास

• kṛṣṇam: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• iti: thus/‘as’
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• bravīṣi: you say
• bravīṣi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू, वचने)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: why/what
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (किम्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• u: indeed/then
• u: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: u (उ, अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• mūḍha-vat: like a fool
• mūḍha-vat: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्, तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial: ‘like a fool’)

Speaker

Bhīma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīma confronts Yudhiṣṭhira, gesturing emphatically toward himself as the crusher of Dhārtarāṣṭras; Yudhiṣṭhira remains composed; Kṛṣṇa stands quietly, the true Puruṣottama, unperturbed.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīma
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• Kṛṣṇa
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Claiming sole agency in success blinds one to the Divine mover; dharma requires humility even after great deeds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is praised in this verse; it is a character-driven doctrinal moment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is argumentative dialogue.