Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

गदोवाच हृषीकेशं प्रहसन्तीव भामिनी । मया ह्यशक्यो वधितुं ब्रह्मण्यो हि बलिर्महान्

Transliteration

gadovāca hṛṣīkeśaṃ prahasantīva bhāminī | mayā hyaśakyo vadhituṃ brahmaṇyo hi balirmahān

Translation

ଗଦା ହୃଷୀକେଶଙ୍କୁ, ଯେନେ ହସୁଥିବା ପରି, କହିଲା—ମୋ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତାଙ୍କୁ ବଧ କରିବା ଅସମ୍ଭବ; କାରଣ ମହାନ୍ ବଳି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଭକ୍ତ, ବ୍ରହ୍ମଣ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• gadaḥ: Gada
• gadaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• hṛṣīkeśam: Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• hṛṣīkeśam: Karma (कर्म) (addressed/mentioned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः हृषीक + ईश (तत्पुरुष)

• prahasantī: laughing
• prahasantī: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier of bhāminī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra+has (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘हसन्ती’

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• bhāminī: the passionate/angry lady
• bhāminī: Karta (कर्ता) (speaker/subject in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• aśakyaḥ: impossible
• aśakyaḥ: Viśeṣya-predicative (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-śakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेध ‘अशक्य’

• vadhitum: to kill
• vadhitum: Prayojana/Anvaya (प्रयोजन/अन्वय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vadh (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘वधितुम्’

• brahmaṇyaḥ: devoted to Brahmins; pious
• brahmaṇyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• baliḥ: Bali
• baliḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied ‘asti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Gadā (Viṣṇu’s mace, personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gadā, personified as a woman, addresses Hṛṣīkeśa with a near-smile, refusing the command on dharmic grounds: Bali is brahmaṇya and thus not slayable by her.

Characters & Entities

• Gadā
• Viṣṇu (Hṛṣīkeśa)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit born of honoring sacred duty—especially reverence for Brāhmaṇas and dharma—creates a spiritual protection even against overwhelming power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the textual setting, but the verse chiefly praises the dharmic quality of “brahmaṇyatā” rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the implied dharma is honoring Brāhmaṇas and sacred order.