Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथ भग्नं बलं दृष्ट्वा दानवैर्मधुसूदनः । आरुह्य गरुडं तूर्णं कालप्रभमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

atha bhagnaṃ balaṃ dṛṣṭvā dānavairmadhusūdanaḥ | āruhya garuḍaṃ tūrṇaṃ kālaprabhamupādravat

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ദാനവർ സൈന്യത്തെ തകർത്തത് കണ്ട മധുസൂദനൻ, വേഗത്തിൽ ഗരുഡനെ കയറി കാലപ്രഭയിലേക്കു പാഞ്ഞുചെന്നു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक) = ‘ततः/अनन्तरम्’ (then)

• भग्नम्: broken; routed
• भग्नम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त (past passive participle) ‘भग्न’ ; ‘बलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• बलम्: army; force
• बलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘दृष्ट्वा’ (having seen)

• दानवैः: by the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवैः: Karana/Hetu (Agent/instrumental cause; by the demons)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• मधुसूदनः: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• मधुसूदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-सूदन (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + सूदन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘मधुं सूदयति’ (slayer of Madhu)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘आरुह्य’ (having mounted)

• गरुडम्: Garuḍa
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तूर्णम्: swiftly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = शीघ्रम् (quickly)

• कालप्रभम्: Kālaprabha (a demon/foe)
• कालप्रभम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; काल + प्रभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘कालस्य प्रभः/प्रभम्’ (named Kālaprabha / having time-like splendor)

• उपाद्रवत्: he rushed toward; attacked
• उपाद्रवत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, radiant and composed, swiftly mounting Garuḍa; Garuḍa’s wings spread wide as they surge toward the dark, formidable Kālaprabha; broken devas in the background regain hope.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• Garuḍa
• Kālaprabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is endangered, the Lord acts decisively; divine protection is portrayed as swift and purposeful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as narrative support within a tīrtha-glorification chapter; the tīrtha name is not specified in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.