Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

वीरभद्रं यदा शक्रो हंतुकामस्त्वरान्वितः । तावच्छंक्रं गजस्थं हि पुरयामास मार्गणैः

Transliteration

vīrabhadraṃ yadā śakro haṃtukāmastvarānvitaḥ | tāvacchaṃkraṃ gajasthaṃ hi purayāmāsa mārgaṇaiḥ

Translation

ശക്രനായ ഇന്ദ്രൻ വീരഭദ്രനെ വധിക്കാനാഗ്രഹിച്ച് അതിവേഗം മുന്നേറുമ്പോൾ, അതേ നിമിഷം വീരഭദ്രൻ ഗജാരൂഢനായ ഇന്ദ്രനെ അമ്പുവർഷംകൊണ്ട് മൂടി.

Word by Word

• वीरभद्रम्: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: समयवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हन्तुकामः: desiring to kill
• हन्तुकामः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय) → हन्तुम् (infinitive) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (हन्तुम् कामः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with शक्रः)

• त्वरान्वितः: accompanied by haste
• त्वरान्वितः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √इ ‘to go’ + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/सह-भाव (त्वरया अन्वितः = endowed with haste); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: then/at that time
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (so long/then)

• शङ्क्रम्: Śaṅkra (reading uncertain; likely ‘Śakra/Indra’)
• शङ्क्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु/शङ्क्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पाठभेद/अर्थसन्देहः—सम्भवतः ‘शक्रं’ (इन्द्रम्) इति अपेक्षितम्

• गजस्थम्: mounted on an elephant
• गजस्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (गजे स्थितः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with शङ्क्रम्/शक्रम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• पूरयामास: filled (covered)
• पूरयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर्/पॄ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + लिट् (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect; narrative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• मार्गणैः: with arrows
• मार्गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, intent on killing, unleashes volleys of arrows at the elephant-mounted foe; the air is thick with shafts, banners, and dust.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vīrabhadra
• Elephant-mounted warrior
• Arrows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Haste and the desire to dominate lead to aggressive action; Purāṇic narrative uses such scenes to caution against pride opposed to divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa context points to the Kedāra tīrtha-region; this verse is a battle description within that larger māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.