Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्दश्यां दशग्रीवो दीक्षामापावहारतः । अमावास्यादिने प्रागाद्युद्धाय दशकंधरः

Transliteration

caturddaśyāṃ daśagrīvo dīkṣāmāpāvahārataḥ | amāvāsyādine prāgādyuddhāya daśakaṃdharaḥ

Translation

चतुर्दश्यां दशग्रीवो दीक्षामापावहारतः। अमावास्यादिने प्रागाद्युद्धाय दशकन्धरः॥

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• दशग्रीवः: Daśagrīva (ten-necked; Rāvaṇa)
• दशग्रीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘दश ग्रीवाः यस्य सः’

• दीक्षाम्: initiation/vow
• दीक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आप: obtained/undertook
• आप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अवहारतः: because of the removal/abduction
• अवहारतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ पञ्चमी

• अमावास्या: of the new-moon day
• अमावास्या: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); कालाधिकरण

• प्रागात्: went forth/set out
• प्रागात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थ चतुर्थी

• दशकन्धरः: Daśakandhara (ten-shouldered; Rāvaṇa)
• दशकन्धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘दश कन्धराः यस्य सः’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On caturdaśī Rāvaṇa takes dīkṣā tied to regulated intake; on amāvāsyā he marches to battle—ritual chamber transitioning to war procession under a moonless sky.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa (Daśagrīva/Daśakaṃdhara)
• Dīkṣā
• Amāvāsyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power without righteousness cannot save: even after dīkṣā, one who stands in adharma proceeds toward downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is glorified; the verse is a narrative timestamp using caturdaśī and amāvāsyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dīkṣā is mentioned (as Rāvaṇa’s act), but it is not presented here as a recommended vrata for devotees—only as part of the storyline.