Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नरस्यार्द्धतनुं कृत्वा सिंहस्यार्द्धतनुं तथा । हिरण्यकशिपोर्वक्षो विददार नखाङ्कुशैः

Transliteration

narasyārddhatanuṃ kṛtvā siṃhasyārddhatanuṃ tathā | hiraṇyakaśiporvakṣo vidadāra nakhāṅkuśaiḥ

Translation

അവൻ അർദ്ധദേഹം മനുഷ്യരൂപവും അർദ്ധദേഹം സിംഹരൂപവും ആക്കി, അങ്കുശസദൃശമായ നഖങ്ങളാൽ ഹിരണ്യകശിപുവിന്റെ വക്ഷസ്ഥലം പിളർത്തി।

Word by Word

• नरस्य: of a man
• नरस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्द्धतनुम्: half a body
• अर्द्धतनुम्: Karma (Object of kṛtvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अर्द्धा तनुः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः), ‘half-body’

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having made’

• सिंहस्य: of a lion
• सिंहस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्द्धतनुम्: half a body
• अर्द्धतनुम्: Karma (Object of kṛtvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अर्द्धा तनुः, ‘half-body’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb), ‘thus/likewise’

• हिरण्यकशिपोः: of Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपोः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular of -u stem)

• वक्षः: chest
• वक्षः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विददार: tore apart
• विददार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + दृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नखाङ्कुशैः: with claw-like hooks (claws)
• नखाङ्कुशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख + अङ्कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—नखाः एव अङ्कुशाः (कर्मधारयः), ‘claw-hooks’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Half-man half-lion deity bursts forth at a palace doorway, holding Hiraṇyakaśipu across His lap, tearing the chest with sharp nails; attendants recoil; Prahlāda (implied) stands in devotion; twilight ambiance.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛsiṃha
• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine transcends ordinary categories to protect righteousness and to remove tyranny that persecutes devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an avatāra exemplum within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s larger māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this shloka.