Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

लेभे कुठारमुज्जह्ने येनार्जुनभुजान्युधि । अग्रतो देवदेवस्य ज्ञात्वा तीर्थे महागुणान्

Transliteration

lebhe kuṭhāramujjahne yenārjunabhujānyudhi | agrato devadevasya jñātvā tīrthe mahāguṇān

Translation

അവൻ ആ കുഠാരം (പരശു) നേടി; അതുകൊണ്ട് യുദ്ധത്തിൽ അർജുനന്റെ ഭുജങ്ങൾ ഛേദിച്ചു. ദേവദേവന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ആദ്യം ചെന്നു, ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ മഹാഗുണങ്ങൾ അറിഞ്ഞ് (ഈ സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു).

Word by Word

• lebhe: obtained
• lebhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ्, प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• kuṭhāram: axe
• kuṭhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ujjahne: struck down/defeated
• ujjahne: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√han (हन्, हिंसायाम्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• arjuna-bhujān: Arjuna’s arms
• arjuna-bhujān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक/नाम) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्जुनस्य भुजाः)

• yudhi: in battle
• yudhi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘युद्धे’ (in battle)

• agrataḥ: in front (of)
• agrataḥ: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: in front)

• deva-devasya: of the God of gods
• deva-devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा, अवबोधने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• mahā-guṇān: great virtues/excellences
• mahā-guṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः गुणाः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma kneels before a liṅga; Śiva’s presence is suggested as a radiant form; the axe (kuṭhāra) appears as a divine gift; a battle vignette shows Arjuna’s arms being severed.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Śiva)
• Arjuna (Kārtavīrya Arjuna)
• Paraśurāma (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing a tīrtha’s greatness and approaching Śiva with reverence makes divine empowerment (śakti) fruitful and dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha connected to the Kumāreśa/Rāmeśvara liṅga within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (approaching in the presence) of Deva-deva and recognizing the tīrtha’s mahā-guṇas as part of pilgrimage devotion.