Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यथा तारामये पूर्वं सङ्ग्रामे लोकविश्रुते । गदाहस्तो महाबाहुस्त्रैलोक्येऽप्रतिमो बलः

Transliteration

yathā tārāmaye pūrvaṃ saṅgrāme lokaviśrute | gadāhasto mahābāhustrailokye'pratimo balaḥ

Translation

പൂർവകാലത്തെ ലോകവിഖ്യാതമായ താരാമയ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ എങ്ങനെയോ, അതുപോലെ ഗദാധാരിയായ മഹാബാഹു ബലൻ ത്രിലോകത്തും അപരിമിതനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमानसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक/यथार्थक (as/just as)

• तारामये: in the Tārāmaya (stellar)
• तारामये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारामय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ताराणां मयः/मयम्’ (made of stars/stellar); विशेषण (qualifying ‘सङ्ग्रामे’)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• सङ्ग्रामे: in the battle
• सङ्ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• लोकविश्रुते: renowned in the world
• लोकविश्रुते: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘लोके विश्रुतः’ (renowned in the world); विशेषण (qualifying ‘सङ्ग्रामे’)

• गदाहस्तः: mace-in-hand
• गदाहस्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गदा + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘गदा हस्ते यस्य’ (one whose hand holds a mace); विशेषण (qualifying ‘बलः’)

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् बाहुः’ (great-armed); विशेषण

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘त्रयः लोकाः’ (three worlds)

• अप्रतिमः: incomparable
• अप्रतिमः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रतिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारान्त विशेषण (incomparable); विशेषण (qualifying ‘बलः’)

• बलः: Bala (Baladeva)
• बलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tārāmaya (remembered battle-locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Baladeva, broad-shouldered, holding the gadā, framed as an iconic champion; behind him, faint vignette-like memory of an ancient celebrated battle (Tārāmaya) as a narrative echo.

Characters & Entities

• Baladeva
• Tārāmaya (saṅgrāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame divine strength as cosmic—meant to uphold order—yet still to be remembered within the moral horizon of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself is an allusion (Tārāmaya); the chapter’s sacred-geography focus remains the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a comparativist praise of Baladeva’s prowess.