Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

ततस्त्रिभिः शंभुभुजं द्विषष्ट्या सूतस्य शीर्षं दशक्षिश्च केतुम् । विष्णुर्विकृष्टैः श्रवणावसानं दैत्यस्य बाणैर्ज्वलनार्कवर्णैः

Transliteration

tatastribhiḥ śaṃbhubhujaṃ dviṣaṣṭyā sūtasya śīrṣaṃ daśakṣiśca ketum | viṣṇurvikṛṣṭaiḥ śravaṇāvasānaṃ daityasya bāṇairjvalanārkavarṇaiḥ

Translation

பின்னர் விஷ்ணு வில்லை இழுத்து, தீயும் சூரியனும் போன்ற ஒளியுடைய தைத்ய அம்புகளால்—மூன்று அம்புகளால் சம்புவின் கை, அறுபத்திரண்டு அம்புகளால் தேரோட்டியின் தலை, பத்து அம்புகளால் கொடியின் கேதுவை வெட்டி வீழ்த்தினான்।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb

• tribhiḥ: with three (arrows)
• tribhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; numeral used adverbially/instrumentally

• śaṃbhubhujam: Śiva’s arm
• śaṃbhubhujam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu-bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; compound: śaṃbhu (Śiva) + bhuja (arm)

• dviṣaṣṭyā: with sixty-two (arrows)
• dviṣaṣṭyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi-ṣaṣṭi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; numeral 'sixty-two' used as count/instrumental

• sūtasya: of the charioteer
• sūtasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• śīrṣam: head
• śīrṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• daśakṣiḥ: the ten-eyed one
• daśakṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa-akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; dvigu compound 'ten-eyed' (epithet)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• ketum: banner/standard
• ketum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• vikṛṣṭaiḥ: drawn/shot forth
• vikṛṣṭaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; qualifying bāṇaiḥ

• śravaṇāvasānam: the end of the ear (ear-lobe/ear-tip)
• śravaṇāvasānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa-avasāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; compound: śravaṇa (ear) + avasāna (end)

• daityasya: of the demon
• daityasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• bāṇaiḥ: with arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• jvalanārkavarṇaiḥ: of the color of fire and sun
• jvalanārkavarṇaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalana-arka-varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; qualifying bāṇaiḥ; compound: jvalana (fire) + arka (sun) + varṇa (color)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu draws back and releases sun-and-fire-bright arrows in measured counts: severing an arm, felling the charioteer’s head, and cutting down the standard—disabling the enemy’s chariot-force.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sūta (charioteer)
• Ketu (banner/standard)
• Śaṃbhu (name/epithet in battle context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Skill yoked to righteous purpose is portrayed as a divine instrument that dismantles the supports of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.