Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

हिरण्याक्षसुतः पूर्वं महिषोनाम दानवः । आसीन्महिषरूपेण येन भुक्तं जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

hiraṇyākṣasutaḥ pūrvaṃ mahiṣonāma dānavaḥ | āsīnmahiṣarūpeṇa yena bhuktaṃ jagattrayam

Translation

पूर्वं हिरण्याक्षसुतो महिषोनाम दानव आसीत्; येन महिषरूपेण जगत्त्रयं भुक्तं पीडितं च।

Word by Word

• hiraṇyākṣasutaḥ: the son of Hiraṇyākṣa
• hiraṇyākṣasutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyākṣa-suta (प्रातिपदिक; हिरण्याक्ष + सुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• mahiṣaḥ: Mahiṣa
• mahiṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देशक (indeclinable 'named')

• dānavaḥ: a Dānava (demon)
• dānavaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (apposition to mahiṣaḥ)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• mahiṣarūpeṇa: in buffalo form
• mahiṣarūpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक; महिष + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrument/means: in the form of a buffalo)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (by whom/whereby)

• bhuktam: was consumed/possessed
• bhuktam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was enjoyed/consumed/ruled)

• jagat: world
• jagat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• trayam: threefold
• trayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• jagattrayam: the three worlds
• jagattrayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat-traya (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic tableau: Mahiṣa as a massive buffalo-headed/ buffalo-bodied asura trampling symbolic representations of the three worlds; devas in distress above; stormy sky; the impending radiance of Devī at the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Mahiṣa (Mahiṣāsura)
• Three worlds (jagattraya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma gains power and ‘devours’ the worlds, divine intervention arises—setting the stage for Devī’s restoration of cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is mythic background rather than site-specific praise; it supports the Devī’s māhātmya within the broader tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides narrative identification of the antagonist (Mahiṣa).