Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

नागायुतसमप्राणो वायुपुत्रो वृकोदरः । न स्त्रियं शरणं गच्छेद्वाङ्मात्रेण कथंचन

Transliteration

nāgāyutasamaprāṇo vāyuputro vṛkodaraḥ | na striyaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchedvāṅmātreṇa kathaṃcana

Translation

പതിനായിരം ആനകളുടെ ബലത്തോട് തുല്യമായ പ്രാണബലം ഉള്ള വായുപുത്രൻ വൃകോദരൻ ഒരിക്കലും സ്ത്രീയുടെ ശരണം തേടരുത്—വാക്കുമാത്രത്താലും അല്ല.

Word by Word

• nāgāyuta-samaprāṇaḥ: having strength equal to ten-thousand elephants
• nāgāyuta-samaprāṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + ayuta (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक) + prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (nāgāyutena samaḥ prāṇaḥ yasya/समप्राणः) विशेषणम्

• vāyuputraḥ: son of Vāyu (Hanumān)
• vāyuputraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वायोः पुत्रः)

• vṛkodaraḥ: Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• vṛkodaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛka (प्रातिपदिक) + udara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वृक-सदृश उदरः) उपनाम

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• striyam: a woman
• striyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śaraṇam: refuge
• śaraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गच्छेत् इत्यस्य द्वितीयकर्म (to take as refuge)

• gacchet: should go (seek)
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• vāṅmātreṇa: by mere words
• vāṅmātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाचः मात्रेण = by mere words)

• kathaṃcana: in any way (at all)
• kathaṃcana: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb), नकारेण सह = 'कदापि न' (not at all/never)

Speaker

Bhīma (self-referential statement within dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīma, massive and muscular, speaks emphatically about not seeking refuge; the king appears uneasy, sensing impropriety or impending consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• Vāyu
• Maheśvarī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Overconfidence and rigid pride obstruct surrender; the narrative frames this attitude as spiritually risky.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of a character-driven episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it asserts a vow-like stance about not seeking refuge.