Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

तः प्रतिहतास्त्रोऽसौ दैत्येंद्रः प्रतिभानवान् । वारुणास्त्रं मुमोचाथशमनं पावकार्चिषाम्

Transliteration

taḥ pratihatāstro'sau daityeṃdraḥ pratibhānavān | vāruṇāstraṃ mumocāthaśamanaṃ pāvakārciṣām

Translation

അസ്ത്രം പ്രതിഹതമായപ്പോൾ ആ ദീപ്തിമാനായ ദൈത്യേന്ദ്രൻ അഗ്ന്യാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെ ജ്വാലകൾ ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്ന വാരുണാസ്ത്രം പ്രയോഗിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तः: then/thereupon
• तः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/सम्बन्धसूचक), अर्थे—तस्मात्/ततः (thereupon/then)

• प्रतिहतास्त्रः: whose weapon was repelled
• प्रतिहतास्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिहत (कृदन्त, √हन् (धातु) + प्रति उपसर्ग, क्त) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः—प्रतिहतम् अस्त्रम् यस्य (whose weapon is repelled)

• असौ: that (one), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• दैत्येन्द्रः: the lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः (lord of the Daityas)

• प्रतिभानवान्: brilliant, intelligent
• प्रतिभानवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिभान (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• वारुणास्त्रम्: the Varuṇa-weapon (water missile)
• वारुणास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—वारुणम् अस्त्रम् (Varuṇa’s weapon)

• मुमोच: released, discharged
• मुमोच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तर्य-बोधक), ‘then/and then’

• शमनम्: quelling, pacification
• शमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्यरूपेण—‘शमनम्’ (quelling)

• पावकार्चिषाम्: of the flames of fire
• पावकार्चिषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पावकस्य अर्चिषः (flames of fire)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant daitya-king, his prior weapon checked, releases the Vāruṇa-astra; watery force descends to quench the fiery tongues of an Agneya weapon, steam and spray rising in a dramatic clash of elements.

Characters & Entities

• Daityendra
• Vāruṇāstra
• Pāvaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic imagery teaches that forces counterbalance one another; discernment is shown in choosing the apt remedy to a raging threat.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None—this verse is an elemental-weapons exchange, not a pilgrimage eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—no vrata, dāna, or snāna instruction appears here.