Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

त्रायस्व नो हृषीकेशा घोरादस्मान्महाभयात् । दैत्यान्सर्वान्संहरस्व मयतारपुरोगमान्

Transliteration

trāyasva no hṛṣīkeśā ghorādasmānmahābhayāt | daityānsarvānsaṃharasva mayatārapurogamān

Translation

അവർ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹൃഷീകേശാ! ഈ ഘോര മഹാഭയത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഞങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കണമേ; മയതാരന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലുള്ള എല്ലാ ദൈത്യന്മാരെയും സംഹരിക്കണമേ.”

Word by Word

• त्रायस्व: protect (you must protect)
• त्रायस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम

• नः: us
• नः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन-रूप (enclitic); अत्र द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे प्रयोगः (us)

• हृषीकेश: O Hṛṣīkeśa
• हृषीकेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम (O Hṛṣīkeśa)

• घोरात्: from the terrible
• घोरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (from terrible)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• महाभयात्: from great fear
• महाभयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भय (प्रातिपदिक); महाभय (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान (from great fear)

• दैत्यान्: the demons
• दैत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (all)

• संहरस्व: destroy/annihilate
• संहरस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम

• मयतारपुरोगमान्: led by Maya-Tāra
• मयतारपुरोगमान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयतार + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक); मयतारपुरोगम (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (having Maya-Tāra in front/led by Maya-Tāra)

Speaker

Devas (collectively), petitioning Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu as refuge)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas with folded hands address Viṣṇu as Hṛṣīkeśa; the Lord stands or sits serene, radiating assurance; the shadow of Mayatāra and daityas lingers at the edge, awaiting divine response.

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Daityas
• Mayatāra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse models devotional appeal and surrender: when dharma is threatened, one seeks the Lord’s protection and the removal of destructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; it is a narrative prayer embedded within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred-history frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prayerful invocation (stuti/śaraṇāgati) is expressed, not a formal rite like snāna or dāna.