Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

निहतैर्दानवैर्घोरैर्देवदेवो जनार्दनः । तत्पापस्य विनाशार्थं दानवान्तोद्भवस्य च

Transliteration

nihatairdānavairghorairdevadevo janārdanaḥ | tatpāpasya vināśārthaṃ dānavāntodbhavasya ca

Translation

घोर दानवांचा नाश झाल्यावर देवदेव जनार्दनाने त्या कर्मातून उत्पन्न पापाचा विनाश व दानवपीडेचे शमन करण्यासाठी उपाय केला।

Word by Word

• निहतैः: by the slain
• निहतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दानवैः: by the demons (Dānavas)
• दानवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• घोरैः: terrible
• घोरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (दानवैः)

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; देवदेवः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण (apposition)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (तत्पापस्य)

• पापस्य: of the sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• विनाशार्थम्: for the destruction
• विनाशार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (विनाशाय अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)

• दानवान्तोद्भवस्य: of the one born at the end of the Dānavas
• दानवान्तोद्भवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + अन्त + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (अन्तोद्भव = अन्ते उद्भवः; दानव-अन्तोद्भवः), पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana stands calm after a fierce battle; fallen dānavas fade into the background while the river-tīrtha glows, signaling a transition from victory to purification and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous violence can generate a need for purification; Purāṇic dharma frames tīrthas as remedies for such karmic taints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the origin-context of the Mahāpātaka-nāśana tīrtha near Cakratīrtha (named in the previous verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse explains the motive for establishing/approaching a tīrtha—destruction of sin.