Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

बलं चातिबलं चैव महावक्त्रौ महाबलौ । प्रददौ कार्तिकेयाय वायुश्चानुचरावुभौ

Transliteration

balaṃ cātibalaṃ caiva mahāvaktrau mahābalau | pradadau kārtikeyāya vāyuścānucarāvubhau

Translation

Vāyu, o deus do Vento, concedeu a Kārtikeya dois acompanhantes—Bala e Atibala—de grande porte e grande força; ambos dotados de imenso poder.

Word by Word

• बलम्: Bala (name)
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अतिबलम्: Atibala (name)
• अतिबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (अतिशयेन बलम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महावक्त्रौ: two great-faced (ones)
• महावक्त्रौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय (महद् वक्त्रम् यस्य)

• महाबलौ: two very strong (ones)
• महाबलौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय (महद् बलम् यस्य)

• प्रददौ: bestowed
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्तिकेयाय: to Kārttikeya
• कार्तिकेयाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वायुः: Vāyu
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अनुचरौ: two attendants
• अनुचरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (अनुचरौ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāyu, depicted with swirling wind and fluttering banners, offers two formidable attendants—Bala and Atibala—broad-shouldered, great-faced, radiating kinetic force beside Kārtikeya.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Vāyu
• Bala
• Atibala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic powers ultimately support Dharma by offering their strength in service to the divine commander, Skanda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on Skanda’s divine investiture with attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse narrates a divine bestowal (anugraha) rather than a rite.