Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

जघान परया शक्त्या वीरभद्रं तदोरसि । वीरभद्रोपि पतितः शक्तिघातेन तस्य वै

Transliteration

jaghāna parayā śaktyā vīrabhadraṃ tadorasi | vīrabhadropi patitaḥ śaktighātena tasya vai

Translation

അവൻ പരമശക്തി (ഭാലം)കൊണ്ട് വീരഭദ്രന്റെ വക്ഷസ്ഥലത്ത് പ്രഹരിച്ചു. ആ ശക്തിഘാതത്തിൽ വീരഭദ്രനും തീർച്ചയായും വീണു.

Word by Word

• जघान: struck/slew
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• परया: supreme/mighty
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular (agreeing with शक्त्या)

• शक्त्या: with a spear/weapon (śakti)
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वीरभद्रम्: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर + भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: his/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive sense/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/द्वितीया-एकवचन रूप (अत्र समासपूर्वं), ‘तद्-’ इत्यस्य अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः — here as pronominal base in compound

• उरसि: on the chest
• उरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर + भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — particle (also/even)

• पतितः: fell
• पतितः: Karta (Subject-state/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शक्तिघातेन: by the blow of the śakti-weapon
• शक्तिघातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शक्त्या घातः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तस्य: of him/his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive (6th), Singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/indeed) — particle

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka drives a blazing spear into Vīrabhadra’s chest; Vīrabhadra staggers and falls, trident slipping, while devas cry out and the battlefield darkens with foreboding.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Śakti (spear weapon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and valor in battle are transient; ultimate victory aligns with dharma, not merely with force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred landscape forms the chapter’s frame, but this verse is focused on combat, not a tīrtha rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative.