Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तथान्ये बहवः शूरा दानवा बलदर्पिताः । हत्वा सुदर्शनं चक्रं भूयः प्राप्तं हरेः करम्

Transliteration

tathānye bahavaḥ śūrā dānavā baladarpitāḥ | hatvā sudarśanaṃ cakraṃ bhūyaḥ prāptaṃ hareḥ karam

Translation

അങ്ങനെ ബലഗർവത്തിൽ മദിച്ചിരുന്ന അനേകം മറ്റു വീര ദാനവരും വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; സുദർശനചക്രം വീണ്ടും ഹരിയുടെ കരത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങി വന്നു।

Word by Word

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• śūrāḥ: heroes, warriors
• śūrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• dānavāḥ: Dānavas (demons)
• dānavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• bala-darpitāḥ: proud due to strength
• bala-darpitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक) + darpita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dṛp ‘दृप्’ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (balena darpitāḥ = ‘made proud by strength’)

• hatvā: having struck/killed
• hatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• sudarśanam: Sudarśana (beautiful-to-see; name)
• sudarśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sudarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; नामविशेषण

• cakram: discus
• cakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• prāptam: returned/was obtained
• prāptam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √āp ‘आप्’ (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); अत्र ‘(cakram) prāptam’ इति कर्मणि-भावः

• hareḥ: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• karam: hand
• karam: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; destination ‘to the hand’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The battlefield quiets as the last proud Dānavas fall; the Sudarśana Cakra arcs back through the sky and settles into Hari’s hand, radiating calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Sudarśana Cakra
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Strength without dharma becomes pride and ends in ruin; divine power completes its task and returns to its source.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concludes a combat episode with the return of Sudarśana.