Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

आग्नेयमस्त्रमकरोद्बलहा पाकशासनः । तेनास्त्रेण च तन्नाशमैषीकमगमत्तदा

Transliteration

āgneyamastramakarodbalahā pākaśāsanaḥ | tenāstreṇa ca tannāśamaiṣīkamagamattadā

Translation

ਤਦੋਂ ਬਲਹਾ, ਪਾਕਸ਼ਾਸਨ ਇੰਦਰ ਨੇ ਆਗਨੇਯ ਅਸਤ੍ਰ ਚਲਾਇਆ; ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਅਸਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਐਸ਼ੀਕ ਅਸਤ੍ਰ ਦਾ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• āgneyam: fiery (Agneya)
• āgneyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अस्त्रम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• astram: weapon
• astram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• akarot: employed/made
• akarot: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bala-hā: destroyer of strength
• bala-hā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक) + han (प्रातिपदिक; √han हिंसागत्योः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (बलं हन्ति इति)

• pāka-śāsanaḥ: Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• pāka-śāsanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāka (प्रातिपदिक) + śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/बहुप्रसिद्ध-नाम (पाकस्य शासकः = इन्द्रः)

• tena: by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• astreṇa: by the weapon
• astreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• tat-nāśam: its destruction
• tat-nāśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य नाशः)

• aiṣīkam: the Aiṣīka (weapon)
• aiṣīkam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiṣīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• agamat: went/reached
• agamat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = temporal adverb

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant and resolute, releases the Agneyāstra; a controlled fire-stream meets the Aiṣīka force and consumes it into calm embers.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Pākaśāsana)
• Balahā
• Āgneyāstra
• Aiṣīkāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous guardians respond with appropriate countermeasures; the narrative highlights balance and restraint through effective protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is indicated; the verse remains in the martial episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this is about the deployment and neutralization of astras.