Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तदा देवासुरे युद्धे त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । भयेन महता युक्तं बभूव गतचेतनम्

Transliteration

tadā devāsure yuddhe trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | bhayena mahatā yuktaṃ babhūva gatacetanam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ദേവാസുരയുദ്ധത്തിൽ, ചരാചരസഹിതമായ ത്രിലോകം മഹാഭയത്തിൽ മുങ്ങി, ചൈതന്യഹീനമായതുപോലെ ആയി।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देवासुरे: in the (gods-and-demons)
• देवासुरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (देवाश्च असुराश्च) — ‘of gods and demons’

• युद्धे: battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः)

• सचराचरम्: with all moving and unmoving beings
• सचराचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः — ‘moving and unmoving’ (qualifying त्रैलोक्यम्)

• भयेन: with fear
• भयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); भयेन सह विशेषणम्

• युक्तम्: possessed (by)
• युक्तम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; धातु √युज्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); भूतकृदन्त — ‘joined/possessed’

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• गतचेतनम्: as if unconscious (with consciousness gone)
• गतचेतनम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम्, क्त) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); बहुव्रीहिः — ‘यस्य चेतना गता’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The battlefield’s shockwave spreads beyond combatants: the three worlds—animals, trees, gods, and spirits—freeze in fear, as if consciousness itself has been stunned.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Asura
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma disturbs not only individuals but the whole cosmic order; peace (śānti) is a sacred duty sustaining the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the larger setting of Kedārakhaṇḍa, but this verse highlights the cosmic impact of war rather than a site’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.