Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

येन विद्धं पुरा लक्ष्यं येन कर्णादयो जिताः । येन तत्खांडवं दग्धं यज्ञे येन नृपा जिताः

Transliteration

yena viddhaṃ purā lakṣyaṃ yena karṇādayo jitāḥ | yena tatkhāṃḍavaṃ dagdhaṃ yajñe yena nṛpā jitāḥ

Translation

ज्याने पूर्वी लक्ष्य भेदले; ज्याने कर्णादींना पराजित केले; ज्याने तो खांडव वन दग्ध केला; आणि यज्ञात ज्याने राजांना जिंकले—

Word by Word

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• विद्धम्: was pierced/struck
• विद्धम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्/विध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Avyaya (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• लक्ष्यम्: the target
• लक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• कर्णादयः: Karna and others
• कर्णादयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-समास: 'Karna and others'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जिताः: were conquered
• जिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• खाण्डवम्: Khāṇḍava (forest)
• खाण्डवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• दग्धम्: was burnt
• दग्धम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जिताः: were conquered
• जिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Deducted (contextual): A Pāṇḍava addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (continuing praise of Arjuna’s deeds)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Khāṇḍava (Khāṇḍavavana/Khāṇḍavaprastha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage of Arjuna’s feats: piercing the famed target, defeating Karṇa and others, the blazing Khāṇḍava forest with divine weapons, and kings subdued in a sacrificial contest—presented as a rhetorical crescendo.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (implied)
• Karṇa
• Khāṇḍava forest

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize and honor dhārmic heroism—valor used in service of righteousness deserves acknowledgement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised; the verse recalls sacred history (itihāsa) to ground dharma in exemplary deeds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; “yajñe” here functions as context for a contest among kings.