Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

बाणं च तैलधौताग्रमर्धचंद्रमजिह्मगम्

Transliteration

bāṇaṃ ca tailadhautāgramardhacaṃdramajihmagam

Translation

आणि त्याने असा बाण घेतला—तेलाने घासून उजळ केलेला अग्रभाग, अर्धचंद्राकार, आणि न वाकता सरळ जाणारा।

Word by Word

• bāṇam: arrow
• bāṇam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• tailadhauta-agra-ardhacandra-ajihmagam: with an oil-polished tip, half-moon-shaped, straight-flying
• tailadhauta-agra-ardhacandra-ajihmagam: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tailadhauta (तैल + धौत, कृदन्त) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + ardhacandra (अर्ध + चन्द्र) + a-jihmaga (a + jihmaga)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — बहुपद-समासः; विशेषणं बाणम् प्रति: ‘oil-polished tip, half-moon-shaped, not-going-crooked (straight-flying)’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up emphasis: Indra’s chosen arrow—oil-polished tip gleaming, crescent-shaped head, perfectly straight shaft—held poised against the bowstring, ready to release.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas often use precise martial imagery to highlight disciplined action and unwavering aim—symbolic of focused will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned in this verse; it is a descriptive line within a battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a technical description of an arrow.