Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कालनेमिर्महेन्द्रेण संयुगे समयुज्यत । सहस्राक्षौहिणीयुक्तो जंभकः शंकरेण च

Transliteration

kālanemirmahendreṇa saṃyuge samayujyata | sahasrākṣauhiṇīyukto jaṃbhakaḥ śaṃkareṇa ca

Translation

യുദ്ധത്തിൽ കാലനേമി മഹേന്ദ്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)നോടു സമരത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടു; സഹസ്ര അക്ഷൗഹിണി സേനയോടുകൂടിയ ജംഭകൻ ശങ്കരൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ നേരിട്ടു.

Word by Word

• कालनेमिः: Kālanemi
• कालनेमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālanemi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महेन्द्रेण: by Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा) + indra (इन्द्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: महान् इन्द्रः; पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• समयुज्यत: was engaged/joined (in combat)
• समयुज्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + yuj (युज् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘संयुक्तः अभवत्’

• सहस्र: thousand
• सहस्र: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (numeral member)

• अक्षौहिणी: akṣauhiṇī (army unit)
• अक्षौहिणी: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣauhiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• युक्तः: endowed/associated with
• युक्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (युज् धातु) + क्त (Kridanta)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जंभकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जंभकः: Jambhaka
• जंभकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃbhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शंकरेण: by Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two simultaneous epic duels: Kālanemi clashes with Indra amid lightning-like vajra flashes; elsewhere Jambhaka, backed by immense ranks, confronts Śiva (Śaṅkara) whose calm power dominates the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Jambhaka
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even overwhelming force is measured against divine order; dharma’s guardians meet adharma directly and without hesitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is the cosmic battle setting within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.