Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततो निमिप्रभृतयो विनद्यासुरसत्तमाः । अधावंत महेष्वासाः केशवं पादचारिणम्

Transliteration

tato nimiprabhṛtayo vinadyāsurasattamāḥ | adhāvaṃta maheṣvāsāḥ keśavaṃ pādacāriṇam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ നിമി മുതലായ അസുരശ്രേഷ്ഠർ ഗർജ്ജിച്ചു കൊണ്ട്, മഹാധനുർധരരായി, പാദചാരിയായി യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യുന്ന കേശവനെ നേരെ പാഞ്ഞെത്തി।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः इति अपादानार्थक-सम्बन्धसूचक (indeclinable adverb: ‘then/from there’)

• निमि-प्रभृतयः: Nimi and others
• निमि-प्रभृतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘निमि-आदि’ इत्यर्थे (Nimi and others)

• विनद्य: having roared
• विनद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + नद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘विनद्’ = गर्जनं कृत्वा (having roared/shouted)

• असुर-सत्तमाः: the best of the demons
• असुर-सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘असुरेषु सत्तमाः’ (best among the asuras)

• अधावन्: ran
• अधावन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘they ran’

• महेष्वासाः: great archers
• महेष्वासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + इष्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘महान्तः इष्वासाः’ = great bowmen

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पादचारिणम्: walking on foot
• पादचारिणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पादचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; केशवम् इति विशेषणम् (one who goes on foot)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava on foot, weapons ready, as Nimi and other foremost asuras—great archers—rush forward roaring; dust, arrows, and war-cries fill the field.

Characters & Entities

• Nimi
• Keśava
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The clash of dharma and adharma is depicted as inevitable; courage and steadfastness are honored even amid overwhelming opposition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of combatants and their assault.