Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

ततो हरिरुवाचेदं वज्रायुधमुदारधीः । न सांप्रतं रणं त्याज्यं शत्रुकातरभैरवम्

Transliteration

tato hariruvācedaṃ vajrāyudhamudāradhīḥ | na sāṃprataṃ raṇaṃ tyājyaṃ śatrukātarabhairavam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഉദാരബുദ്ധിയുള്ള ഹരി വജ്രായുധധാരിയോട് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഇപ്പോൾ യുദ്ധം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കേണ്ട സമയം അല്ല; ശത്രു ഭീതിയും വിറയലും പിടിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Avadhi (काल/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• hariḥ: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hariḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• idam: this (speech)
• idam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vajrāyudham: to the Vajra-weaponed (Indra)
• vajrāyudham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: vajrasya āyudham = ‘whose weapon is the vajra’ (epithet of Indra)

• udāradhīḥ: (he) of noble intellect
• udāradhīḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udāra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: udārā dhīḥ yasya saḥ

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• sāṃpratam: now, at present
• sāṃpratam: Kāla (काल/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण प्रयुक्तम् (adverbial accusative)

• raṇam: battle
• raṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tyājyam: to be abandoned
• tyājyam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ya (य/कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (raṇam—‘to be abandoned’)

• śatru: enemy
• śatru: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद

• kātara: timid, distressed
• kātara: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kātara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासमध्यपद

• bhairavam: terrifying to (timid) enemies
• bhairavam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicate qualifier of raṇam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: śatru-kātara-bhairavam = ‘terrible to the timid enemies’ (i.e., causing fear in enemies)

Speaker

Hari (Viṣṇu/Janārdana) addressing Śakra (Indra, wielder of the Vajra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari speaks firmly to Indra, gesturing toward the battlefield where the enemy shows signs of fear; Indra’s posture straightens as courage returns.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)
• Enemy (Dānava/Asura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires steadiness: when adharma begins to waver, perseverance—guided by divine wisdom—secures victory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a counsel passage within the battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is ethical and strategic (do not abandon righteous struggle).