Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

चक्रपाणिस्तदायातो देवानां विजयाय च । गगनस्थं महाविष्णुं गरुडोपरि संस्थितम् । श्रीवासमेनं दुर्द्धर्षं योद्धुकामं ददर्शिरे

Transliteration

cakrapāṇistadāyāto devānāṃ vijayāya ca | gaganasthaṃ mahāviṣṇuṃ garuḍopari saṃsthitam | śrīvāsamenaṃ durddharṣaṃ yoddhukāmaṃ dadarśire

Translation

तेव्हा चक्रधारी प्रभू देवांच्या विजयासाठी आले. त्यांनी आकाशात गरुडावर स्थित महाविष्णूला पाहिले—श्रीवास, दुर्धर्ष, आणि युद्धास उत्सुक.

Word by Word

• cakra-pāṇiḥ: the one with a discus in hand (Viṣṇu)
• cakra-pāṇiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = यस्य पाणौ चक्रम् सः

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• āyātaḥ: came
• āyātaḥ: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु) with ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आगतः’

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• vijayāya: for victory
• vijayāya: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक

• gagana-stham: standing in the sky
• gagana-stham: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gagana (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; महाविष्णु-विशेषणम्

• mahā-viṣṇum: great Viṣṇu
• mahā-viṣṇum: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• garuḍa-upari: upon Garuḍa
• garuḍa-upari: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + upari (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय-प्रयोगः (locative adverbial phrase)

• saṃsthitam: seated/standing
• saṃsthitam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) with sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; महाविष्णु-विशेषणम्

• śrī-vāsam: Śrīvāsa (abode of Śrī)
• śrī-vāsam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; एनम्-विशेषणम्

• enam: him
• enam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• durddharṣam: unassailable
• durddharṣam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur- (उपसर्ग/प्रत्ययार्थ) + dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; एनम्-विशेषणम्

• yoddhu-kāmam: desiring to fight
• yoddhu-kāmam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoddhu (कृदन्त; infinitive from √yudh) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; एनम्-विशेषणम्

• dadarśire: they saw
• dadarśire: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahāviṣṇu, cakrapāṇi, appears in the sky seated on Garuḍa, unconquerable and poised for battle; devas look up, reassured of victory.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection manifests when dharma is threatened; the Lord comes specifically for the victory of the righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Kedāra Khaṇḍa, framing events around the sacred Kedāra/Kedārnātha tīrtha landscape, even when the verse itself is battle-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa instruction appears in this verse.