Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

विमर्दे तत्र विषमे भविता भूतसंक्षयः । जित एषशशांकोऽथ वयं यद्बलमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

vimarde tatra viṣame bhavitā bhūtasaṃkṣayaḥ | jita eṣaśaśāṃko'tha vayaṃ yadbalamāśritāḥ

Translation

“ആ ഭീകര സംഘർഷത്തിൽ ജീവികളുടെ മഹാസംഹാരം ഉണ്ടാകും. എങ്കിലും ഈ ‘ശശാങ്കധ്വജൻ’ പോലും ജയിക്കപ്പെടും; കാരണം ഞങ്ങൾ ആ പ്രഭുബലത്തിൽ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• विमर्दे: in the clash/battle
• विमर्दे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमर्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• विषमे: uneven/difficult
• विषमे: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (विमर्दे)

• भविता: will occur
• भविता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भूतसंक्षयः: destruction of beings
• भूतसंक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जितः: is conquered/defeated
• जितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) → जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शशाङ्कः: the Moon
• शशाङ्कः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशाङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग-बोधक (then/now)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-विशेषण (relative)

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाच्य-विशेषण (agreeing with वयम्)

Speaker

Divākara (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Aruṇa (and implicitly allied devas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divākara, poised on the chariot, speaks with grave certainty: the coming clash will be terrible, yet victory is assured through divine refuge; in the distance, the ‘moon-bannered’ enemy standard is visible against a smoky sky.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara
• Kālanemi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in divine strength (āśraya) is portrayed as the foundation of victory even amid unavoidable suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is on the ethics and outcome of a deva–asura conflict.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes faith/refuge rather than a rite.