Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तमायांतं ततो दृष्ट्वा कुशं शिवपरिग्रहम् । जघान गदया गुर्व्या गदाहस्तं तदा कुशम्

Transliteration

tamāyāṃtaṃ tato dṛṣṭvā kuśaṃ śivaparigraham | jaghāna gadayā gurvyā gadāhastaṃ tadā kuśam

Translation

ശിവന്റെ സംരക്ഷണത്തിലുള്ള ഗദാധാരിയായ കുശൻ മുന്നോട്ട് വരുന്നതു കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, അവനെ മഹാഗദയുടെ ശക്തമായ അടിയാൽ അവൻ പ്രഹരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• āyāntam: coming, approaching
• āyāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + yā (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदा/ततः (then)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); (having seen)

• kuśam: Kuśa
• kuśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• śiva-parigraham: one under Śiva’s protection
• śiva-parigraham: Visheshana (Appositional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + parigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'शिवस्य परिग्रहः' = one protected/accepted by Śiva); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• jaghāna: he struck/killed
• jaghāna: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• gadayā: with a mace
• gadayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• gurvyā: heavy, mighty
• gurvyā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with 'gadayā')

• gadā-hastam: holding a mace in (his) hand
• gadā-hastam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: 'गदया हस्तः यस्य' इत्यर्थे बहुव्रीहिसदृश-प्रयोग; रूपतः तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• kuśam: Kuśa
• kuśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; (पुनरुक्ति/अन्वय-बलार्थ)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; likely Sūta/Skanda framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two mace-bearers clash: Kuśa advances with Śiva’s protective aura; the opposing hero swings a heavy mace in a decisive arc, dust rising from the impact zone.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those sheltered by Śiva are portrayed as bearing a sacred inviolability, even when worldly conflict arises.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sanctity frames the episode, presenting the region as a stage where divine protection and dharma are revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse continues a martial episode within the māhātmya.