Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

निकुम्भकुम्भौ द्वावेतौ मकराक्षश्चतुर्दिनैः । फाल्गुनासितद्वितीयाया दिने वै शक्रजिज्जितः

Transliteration

nikumbhakumbhau dvāvetau makarākṣaścaturdinaiḥ | phālgunāsitadvitīyāyā dine vai śakrajijjitaḥ

Translation

ନିକୁମ୍ଭ ଓ କୁମ୍ଭ—ଏହି ଦୁଇଜଣ—ଏବଂ ମକରାକ୍ଷ ଚାରି ଦିନ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ନିହତ ହେଲେ। ଫାଲ୍ଗୁନ କୃଷ୍ଣପକ୍ଷ ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟା ତିଥିରେ ଶକ୍ରଜିତ୍ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଜିତ୍), ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରବିଜୟୀ, ନିଜ ଅନ୍ତକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• निकुम्भकुम्भौ: Nikumbha and Kumbha
• निकुम्भकुम्भौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); संख्याविशेषण

• एतौ: these (two)
• एतौ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); सर्वनाम

• मकराक्षः: Makarākṣa
• मकराक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकराक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुर्दिनैः: by/within four days
• चतुर्दिनैः: Karana (Instrument/means; here time-measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); कालपरिमाणे तृतीया

• फाल्गुन: of (the month) Phālguna
• फाल्गुन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); मास-विशेषण (month-name)

• असित: of the dark (fortnight)
• असित: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); पक्ष-विशेषण (dark fortnight)

• द्वितीयायाः: of the second lunar day
• द्वितीयायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Location/time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); कालाधिकरण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/निश्चयार्थ

• शक्रजित्: Indrajit (conqueror of Śakra)
• शक्रजित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जि (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); उपाधि/नाम (Indrajit)

• जितः: was conquered/defeated
• जितः: Visheshana (Adjectival predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A war-chronicle tableau: fallen rākṣasa generals Nikumbha, Kumbha, and Makarākṣa; the looming fate of Śakrajit marked by the dark-half Phālguna dvitīyā.

Characters & Entities

• Nikumbha
• Kumbha
• Makarākṣa
• Indrajit (Śakrajit)
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly titles like “conqueror of Indra” cannot shield one from dharma’s consequence; pride collapses when righteousness advances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is praised; the verse serves as a calendrical marker within the Purāṇic retelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the dark-fortnight tithi is used for dating the narrative events.