Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विकृतं विकृताकारं विकृताकाररावणम् । शस्त्रोद्यतकरं सर्वयुद्धवांछापरायणम्

Transliteration

vikṛtaṃ vikṛtākāraṃ vikṛtākārarāvaṇam | śastrodyatakaraṃ sarvayuddhavāṃchāparāyaṇam

Translation

അത് അവർക്കു വിചിത്രമായി തോന്നി—വികൃതാകാരമുള്ളത്, വിചിത്രമായി ഗർജ്ജിക്കുന്നതു; ശസ്ത്രം ഉയർത്തിയ കൈകളോടെ, മുഴുവനായി യുദ്ധാഭിലാഷത്തിൽ ലീനമായത്.

Word by Word

• विकृतम्: deformed, monstrous
• विकृतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + कृ (धातु) → विकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• विकृत-आकारम्: of distorted form
• विकृत-आकारम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('having a deformed form')

• विकृत-आकार-रावणम्: the distorted-form Rāvaṇa (epithet)
• विकृत-आकार-रावणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक) + रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('Rāvaṇa with distorted form' / 'one roaring with distorted form'—contextually epithet)

• शस्त्र-उद्यत-करम्: with hand raised holding a weapon
• शस्त्र-उद्यत-करम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('whose hand is raised with a weapon')

• सर्व-युद्ध-वाञ्छा-परायणम्: wholly devoted to the desire for battle
• सर्व-युद्ध-वाञ्छा-परायणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वाञ्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('devoted to desire for all battles')

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daityas behold an uncanny host: distorted/extraordinary forms, strange roars, weapons raised—an embodiment of relentless battle-intent.

Characters & Entities

• Strīsainya (women’s army)
• Dānava (implied observers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection may assume fearsome, unconventional forms; what appears ‘vikṛta’ to adharma is the very instrument of dharma’s defense.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a descriptive segment within the larger tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a vivid description of the martial readiness of the divine forces.