Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततः कालनिमेषार्धं दृष्ट्वैक्यं त्रिपुरस्य च । त्रिपर्वणा त्रिशल्येन ततस्तान्यवसादयत्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālanimeṣārdhaṃ dṛṣṭvaikyaṃ tripurasya ca | triparvaṇā triśalyena tatastānyavasādayat

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അർദ്ധനിമേഷകാലത്തിനുള്ളിൽ ത്രിപുരത്തിന്റെ ത്രിവിധഭാഗങ്ങൾ ഏകമായി ചേരുന്നതു കണ്ടു, ത്രിപർവ്വവും ത്രിശല്യവും ഉള്ള ശരംകൊണ്ട് അവരെ വധിച്ച് വീഴ്ത്തി നാശത്തിലാക്കി।

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = 'then/from there'

• काल: time
• काल: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• निमेष: wink; moment
• निमेष: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• अर्धम्: half (a moment)
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: काल-निमेष-अर्धम् (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: 'of a time-wink' = half a moment)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; 'having seen'

• ऐक्यम्: unity; oneness
• ऐक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रिपुरस्य: of Tripura
• त्रिपुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/संबन्धक)

• त्रिपर्वणा: with the three-jointed (weapon/implement)
• त्रिपर्वणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पर्वन्), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः: त्रि-पर्वन् = 'three-jointed/three-segmented'

• त्रिशल्येन: with the three-barbed (weapon)
• त्रिशल्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः: त्रि-शल्य = 'three-barbed/three-spiked'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तानि: those (things/beings)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अवसादयत्: he caused (them) to sink; subdued
• अवसादयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage: 'made sink/caused to fall into dejection'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bharata-uttama (a Bharata prince/hero addressed in the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Tripurāntaka sights the three aerial cities aligning into one; in a half-blink he releases a single tri-jointed, tri-barbed arrow that collapses the blazing fortress into ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Tripura
• Śiva’s threefold arrow

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma ‘converges’ into a single hardened force, divine justice can dissolve it in an instant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the passage is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the destruction of Tripura with a symbolic threefold arrow.