Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

एवं तद्देवसैन्यं च हाहाभूतमचेतनम् । कृत्वा मुहूर्तादाधावच्चक्रपाणिं तमुन्नदन्

Transliteration

evaṃ taddevasainyaṃ ca hāhābhūtamacetanam | kṛtvā muhūrtādādhāvaccakrapāṇiṃ tamunnadan

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ദേവസൈന്യത്തെ ഒരു നിമിഷത്തിൽ ‘ഹാ ഹാ’ എന്നു നിലവിളിച്ച് അചേതനപ്രായമാക്കി, അവൻ ഗർജ്ജിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ചക്രപാണിയായ (വിഷ്ണുവിനെ) ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി പാഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Demonstrative ‘that’ qualifying सैन्यम्

• देवसैन्यम्: the army of the gods
• देवसैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां सैन्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

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

• हाहाभूतम्: reduced to cries of ‘hā hā’
• हाहाभूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहा (अव्यय/ध्वन्यात्मक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हाहा-शब्दयुक्त/हाहा इति जातम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अचेतनम्: unconscious
• अचेतनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुष (चेतनरहित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having made’

• मुहूर्तात्: after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (after a moment)

• आधावत्: ran towards
• आधावत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘ran towards’

• चक्रपाणिम्: the one holding the discus (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रपाणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य पाणौ चक्रम् सः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (epithet of Viṣṇu)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun ‘him’

• उन्नदन्: they roared/shouted
• उन्नदन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√नद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they roared/shouted’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast deva-army collapses into confusion, hands raised, mouths crying ‘hā hā’; through the chaos a fierce warrior surges forward toward Viṣṇu, who stands poised with the Sudarśana discus, calm amid turmoil.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Viṣṇu (Hari, Cakrapāṇi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine hosts can be overwhelmed by fear; dharma requires steadiness and reliance on the Lord rather than panic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s wider Skanda-centered sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a battlefield narration without vrata/dāna/japa instructions.