Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नैरृतः प्रघसेनैव पाशी कुंभेन संगतः । निकुंभेनैव सुमहद्युद्धं चक्रे सदारयः

Transliteration

nairṛtaḥ praghasenaiva pāśī kuṃbhena saṃgataḥ | nikuṃbhenaiva sumahadyuddhaṃ cakre sadārayaḥ

Translation

നൈഋതൻ പ്രഘസേനനോടു യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഏറ്റുമുട്ടി; പാശധാരിയായ (വരുണൻ) കുംഭനെ നേരിട്ടു; സദാരയൻ നികുംഭനോടു മഹായുദ്ധം നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• नैरृतः: Nairṛta (a demon/being)
• नैरृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• प्रघसेन: with Praghasena
• प्रघसेन: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रघसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पाशी: Pāśī (one bearing a noose)
• पाशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• कुम्भेन: with Kumbha
• कुम्भेन: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• संगतः: joined; engaged
• संगतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √गम् (गत) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Past participle; Masculine Nom. Sg.)

• निकुम्भेन: with Nikumbha
• निकुम्भेन: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; adjective)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• चक्रे: made; waged
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (डुकृञ् करणे) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (आत्मनेपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• सदारयः: Sādāraya (proper name)
• सदारयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + दारय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of fierce duels: Nairṛta confronting Praghasena; a noose-bearing figure (pāśī) battling Kumbha; Sādāraya locked with Nikumbha—each pair framed like vignettes amid a larger melee.

Characters & Entities

• Nairṛta
• Praghasena
• Pāśin (noose-bearer)
• Kumbha
• Nikumbha
• Sādāraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa depicts dharma as protected on many fronts—multiple guardians engage adharma simultaneously to restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the section’s sacred setting; this verse itself is a battlefield roster rather than tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.