Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एवं स महिषो विप्राः सभृत्यबलवाहनः । दुर्गया निहतो भूमौ पपात च ममार च

Transliteration

evaṃ sa mahiṣo viprāḥ sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ | durgayā nihato bhūmau papāta ca mamāra ca

Translation

Assim, ó brāhmaṇas, aquele demônio-búfalo — juntamente com seus assistentes, forças e montarias — foi morto por Durgā; ele caiu no chão e morreu.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार-बोधक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: 'thus')

• सः: he, that one
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• महिषः: buffalo(-demon)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Plural)

• सभृत्यबलवाहनः: with his attendants, army, and mounts
• सभृत्यबलवाहनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + भृत्य + बल + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: सह-भृत्य-बल-वाहनः (having attendants, forces, and mounts)

• दुर्गया: by Durgā
• दुर्गया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• निहतः: slain
• निहतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; past participle: 'slain')

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परफेक्ट), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• ममार: died
• ममार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परफेक्ट), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator addressing “viprāḥ”

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The buffalo-demon collapses lifeless with his retinue and mounts scattered; Durgā stands victorious, weapons lowered; dust settles as celestial beings begin to gather overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Mahiṣa-asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is upheld, adharma collapses utterly—leader, followers, and power-structures alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The victory is situated within Setukhaṇḍa’s tīrtha sphere, centered on Dharmapuṣkariṇī in the immediate context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it concludes the slaying episode.