Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

नंदीना च हतः शक्रस्त्रिशूलेन स्तनांतरे । वायुना च हतो भृंगी भृंगिणा वायुराहतः

Transliteration

naṃdīnā ca hataḥ śakrastriśūlena stanāṃtare | vāyunā ca hato bhṛṃgī bhṛṃgiṇā vāyurāhataḥ

Translation

നന്ദി ത്രിശൂലംകൊണ്ട് വക്ഷസ്ഥലത്തിൽ കുത്തി ശക്രനെ (ഇന്ദ്രനെ) വീഴ്ത്തി. വായു ഭൃംഗിയെ വധിച്ചു; ഭൃംഗി വായുവിനെയും പ്രഹരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• नन्दीना: by Nandī
• नन्दीना: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (नन्दिना = नन्दीना वैदिक/पौराणिक रूप)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• हतः: was struck/slain
• हतः: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was struck/slain)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karman (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिशूलेन: with a trident
• त्रिशूलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः द्विगु (त्रि + शूल)

• स्तनान्तरे: in the space between the breasts
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तनान्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (स्तनयोः अन्तरम्)

• वायुना: by Vāyu
• वायुना: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• हतः: was slain
• हतः: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि

• भृङ्गी: Bhṛṅgī
• भृङ्गी: Karman (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• भृङ्गिणा: by Bhṛṅgin
• भृङ्गिणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गिन्/भृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• वायुः: Vāyu
• वायुः: Karman (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आहतः: was struck
• आहतः: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + आ + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-युक्त (आहतः = struck)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin drives a trident into Indra’s chest; elsewhere Vāyu fells Bhṛṅgī, yet Bhṛṅgī retaliates, striking Vāyu—simultaneous vignettes of reciprocal blows across the battlefield.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Śakra (Indra)
• Triśūla (Trident)
• Vāyu
• Bhṛṅgī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest devas are shown as limited; Śiva’s gaṇas embody the irresistible force of divine will and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa, oriented to the Kedāra sacred region (Kedarnath/Himalayan Śaiva geography), though this verse itself is a battle-detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive narration of combat among divine beings.