Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कालनेमिर्नश्चैव प्रानृत्यत महारणे । असंमूढस्ततो विष्णुस्त्वराकाल उपस्थिते

Transliteration

kālanemirnaścaiva prānṛtyata mahāraṇe | asaṃmūḍhastato viṣṇustvarākāla upasthite

Translation

ആ മഹായുദ്ധത്തിൽ കാലനേമിയും നശിച്ചു; വീഴുമ്പോൾ അവൻ തളർന്നു തളർന്നു പുളഞ്ഞു. തുടർന്ന് നിർണായക നിമിഷം എത്തിയപ്പോൾ അസമ്മൂഢനായ വിഷ്ണു ക്ഷണത്തിൽ പ്രവർത്തിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• कालनेमिः: Kālanemi
• कालनेमिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālanemi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नश्: not
• नश्: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naś (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle) = ‘न’ (Vedic/poetic form)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• प्रानृत्यत: danced about, capered
• प्रानृत्यत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √nṛt (नृत् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• महारणे: in the great battle
• महारणे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महद् रणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• असंमूढः: unbewildered, unconfused
• असंमूढः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + sammūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेध; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विष्णुः’ इति विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (then)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• त्वराकाले: at the time of haste
• त्वराकाले: Adhikarana (Time/Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvarā + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्वरायाः कालः / त्वराकालः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• उपस्थिते: when (it) had come/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + √sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘उपस्थित’; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālanemi collapses on the churned earth, limbs twisting as life leaves him; nearby, Viṣṇu stands unwavering—eyes clear, posture steady—ready to strike at the exact turning-point of the battle.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous power acts without delusion: steadiness of mind and timely action support the victory of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a battle-narrative segment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this shloka; it focuses on the unfolding of the battle.