Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एष कालानलप्रख्यो मयूरं समुपस्थितः । रक्षिता वो महासेनः कथं भीतिस्तथापि वः

Transliteration

eṣa kālānalaprakhyo mayūraṃ samupasthitaḥ | rakṣitā vo mahāsenaḥ kathaṃ bhītistathāpi vaḥ

Translation

ນີ້ຄື ມະຫາເສນະ, ຜູ້ຮຸ່ງເຮືອງດັ່ງໄຟແຫ່ງການເວລາ, ປະທັບຢູ່ເທິງນົກຍູງ. ພະອົງຄືຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງຂອງພວກທ່ານ, ເປັນຫຍັງຄວາມຢ້ານກົວຈຶ່ງຍັງມີຢູ່ໃນພວກທ່ານ?

Word by Word

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eṣa (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कालानलप्रख्यः: like the fire of time (apocalyptic fire)
• कालानलप्रख्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (काल) + anala (अनल) + prakhya (प्रख्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-निर्देश): कालानल-सदृशः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मयूरम्: Mayūra (the peacock)
• मयूरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mayūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समुपस्थितः: has arrived, is present
• समुपस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषणवत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + upa + sthā (स्था धातु) + क्त (Kridanta)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘आगतः/उपस्थितः’

• रक्षिता: protector
• रक्षिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣ (रक्ष् धातु) + तृ (Kridanta)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वः: of you / for you
• वः: Sampradana/Adhikarana (Beneficiary/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन; ‘युष्माकम्/युष्मभ्यम्’

• महासेनः: Mahāsena (Skanda)
• महासेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा) + sena (सेन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: महती सेना यस्य/महासेनः (कार्त्तिकेयस्य नाम); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भीतिः: fear
• भीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथापि: even then, nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Concession/विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā + api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोध-अव्यय (concessive: even so)

• वः: your
• वः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Gen.), बहुवचन

Speaker

Purandara (Indra) [context: he begins speaking in shloka 20; continues here]

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahāsena stands revealed, blazing like apocalyptic fire, mounted on a peacock with iridescent spread feathers; Devas turn from fear to awe as his radiance cuts through battlefield smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāsena (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Mayūra (peacock)
• Kālānala (time-fire, metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of the Lord as protector dispels fear; devotion (śaraṇāgati) transforms panic into steadfastness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is praised; the verse glorifies Skanda (Mahāsena) as divine guardian.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is taking refuge in Skanda through remembrance and trust.