Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महिषासुरे महाकाये पुरा देवभयंकरे । शूलिन्या शूलभिन्नाङ्गे कृते दानवसत्तमे

Transliteration

mahiṣāsure mahākāye purā devabhayaṃkare | śūlinyā śūlabhinnāṅge kṛte dānavasattame

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ദേവഭയങ്കരനായ മഹാകായ മഹിഷാസുരൻ—ദാനവശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ—ശൂലധാരിണിയായ ദേവി ശൂലത്തോടെ അവന്റെ അവയവങ്ങൾ പിളർത്തിയപ്പോൾ അവൻ നിപാതിതനായി.

Word by Word

• महिषासुरे: in/with regard to Mahiṣāsura
• महिषासुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महाकाये: of huge body
• महाकाये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देवभयंकरे: causing fear to the gods
• देवभयंकरे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शूलिन्या: by the trident-bearing (goddess)
• शूलिन्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शूलभिन्नाङ्गे: whose limbs were split by a trident
• शूलभिन्नाङ्गे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भिन्न (कृदन्त, √भिद्) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कृते: when (it was) done; upon (the act)
• कृते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘when done/when occurred’ (locative absolute sense)

• दानवसत्तमे: O best of demons
• दानवसत्तमे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandāhrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The trident-bearing Goddess pierces the massive buffalo-demon Mahiṣāsura; the battlefield is charged, with gods watching in relief as the demon falls.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣāsura
• Śūlinī (Trident-bearing Goddess, i.e., Devī/Nandā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is grounded in Devī’s protective victory over adharma, making the place a memorial of divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nandā-hrada indirectly, through its origin legend connected with Devī’s deed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the tīrtha’s mythic background.