Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

हलेनाकृष्य सहसा गदापातैरपातयत् । अशक्यो दानवैर्हन्तुं बलभद्रो महाबलः

Transliteration

halenākṛṣya sahasā gadāpātairapātayat | aśakyo dānavairhantuṃ balabhadro mahābalaḥ

Translation

Мгновенно подцепив их своим плугом и притянув, он поверг их ударами палицы. Могучего Балабхадру данавам было невозможно убить.

Word by Word

• हलेन: with the plough (weapon)
• हलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• आकृष्य: having dragged
• आकृष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-कृष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्, अव्ययभाव), √कृष् with उपसर्ग ‘आ’; पूर्वक्रिया (having dragged)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• गदापातैः: with mace-blows
• गदापातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गदायाः पातः’ (blows of a mace)

• अपातयत्: struck down, made fall
• अपातयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; causative sense in context ‘caused to fall/struck down’ (पातयति)

• अशक्यः: impossible (to be...)
• अशक्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय, शक्य ‘possible’ with नञ्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘बलभद्रः’)

• दानवैः: by the Dānavas
• दानवैः: Karta (Agent in passive/करण-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय, infinitive), √हन्

• बलभद्रः: Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• बलभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (नाम): ‘बल’ + ‘भद्र’

• महाबलः: very strong, mighty
• महाबलः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महद् बलम् यस्य/महाबलः’ (very strong); विशेषण (qualifying ‘बलभद्रः’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Balabhadra whirls the plough to hook and drag foes, then fells them with heavy mace strikes; dānavas tumble, dust and shockwaves radiate from each blow.

Characters & Entities

• Balabhadra (Baladeva)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises in violent forms, Purāṇic tradition depicts divine power as invincible and corrective—restoring balance.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā-khaṇḍa setting; the sacred Narmadā landscape frames the narrative even when the verse focuses on combat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.