Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

चक्रं करेण संगृह्य गदाचक्रधरः प्रभुः । शार्ङ्गं च मुशलं सीरं करैर्गृह्य जनार्दनः

Transliteration

cakraṃ kareṇa saṃgṛhya gadācakradharaḥ prabhuḥ | śārṅgaṃ ca muśalaṃ sīraṃ karairgṛhya janārdanaḥ

Translation

ഗദാ-ചക്രധാരിയായ പ്രഭു കൈയിൽ സുദർശനചക്രം ഗ്രഹിച്ചു; ജനാർദനൻ തന്റെ കരങ്ങളിൽ ശാർങ്ഗധനുസ്സും മുഷലവും സീരം (ഉഴവ്)യും കൂടി എടുത്തു।

Word by Word

• चक्रम्: discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करेण: with (his) hand
• करेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संगृह्य: having taken up
• संगृह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); उपसर्ग: सम्; धातु: ग्रह्

• गदाचक्रधरः: the bearer of mace and discus
• गदाचक्रधरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + चक्र + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्वन्द्वपूर्वक षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गदां च चक्रं च धरति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; गदाचक्रधरः इत्यस्य अपि विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• शार्ङ्गम्: Śārṅga (the bow)
• शार्ङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; धनुर्नाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• मुशलम्: club/pestle
• मुशलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सीरम्: plough
• सीरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करैः: with (his) hands
• करैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund) का वैदिक/छान्दस रूप; अर्थतः 'गृहित्वा'; धातु: ग्रह्

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विष्णोर्नाम

Speaker

Narrator (third-person narration within the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana arms himself: Sudarśana cakra, gadā, Śārṅga bow, muśala, and halāyudha (plough)—a composite, awe-inspiring martial theophany.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)
• Śārṅga (bow)
• Muśala (pestle)
• Sīra (plough)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through decisive, righteous power; the Lord’s weapons symbolize protection, clarity, and the removal of oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.