Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

बहन्त्यश्चापगा ह्यासन्नद्यो भीरुभयावहाः । अगाधाः शोणितोदाश्च तरंतो ब्रह्मराक्षसाः । तयंति परान्भूतप्रतप्रमथराक्षसान्

Transliteration

bahantyaścāpagā hyāsannadyo bhīrubhayāvahāḥ | agādhāḥ śoṇitodāśca taraṃto brahmarākṣasāḥ | tayaṃti parānbhūtapratapramatharākṣasān

Translation

అక్కడ వాగులు, నదులు ప్రవహిస్తున్నాయి; అవి భయపడే వారికి భయంకరమైనవి—అగాధమైన రక్తజల ప్రవాహాలు. వాటిలో బ్రహ్మరాక్షసులు ఈదుతూ, ఇతర జీవులను బాధించేవారు—ఉగ్ర భూతాలు, ప్రేతాలు, ప్రమథులు మరియు రాక్షసులను.

Word by Word

• bahantyaḥ: flowing
• bahantyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vah (वह्) (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — present active participle: 'flowing'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• āpagāḥ: rivers/streams
• āpagāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpagā (आपगा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — feminine nominative plural

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — emphatic particle

• āsan: were
• āsan: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — imperfect, 3rd person plural

• nadyaḥ: rivers
• nadyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (नदी) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — feminine nominative plural; apposition to āpagāḥ

• bhīru-bhaya-āvahāḥ: bringing fear to the timid
• bhīru-bhaya-āvahāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīru (भीरु) + bhaya (भय) + āvaha (आवह) < ā-√vah (वह्) (धातु) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — feminine nominative plural; 'bringing fear to the timid'

• agādhāḥ: unfathomable, very deep
• agādhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agādha (अगाध) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — feminine nominative plural; qualifies nadyaḥ

• śoṇita-udāḥ: with blood as water
• śoṇita-udāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoṇita (शोणित) + uda (उद) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — feminine nominative plural; 'having water of blood'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• tarantaḥ: crossing
• tarantaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tṝ (तॄ) (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — present active participle: 'crossing/swimming'

• brahma-rākṣasāḥ: brahma-rākṣasas (a class of demons)
• brahma-rākṣasāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन्) + rākṣasa (राक्षस) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural

• tayaṃti: stretch/spread (drive)
• tayaṃti: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tan (तन्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — present, 3rd person plural; (छन्दसि/प्रयोगभेदे) 'विस्तारयन्ति/तानयन्ति'

• parān: others, foes
• parān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (पर) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — masculine accusative plural

• bhūta-pratapa-pramatha-rākṣasān: bhūtas, pratapas, pramathas, and rākṣasas
• bhūta-pratapa-pramatha-rākṣasān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (भूत) + pratapa (प्रतप) + pramatha (प्रमथ) + rākṣasa (राक्षस) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — masculine accusative plural; collective dvandva list of beings

Speaker

Lomaśa (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A nightmarish river scene: deep channels of blood flow through a ravine; timid beings recoil; brahma-rākṣasas swim with grim faces; around them whirl bhūtas, pramathas, and rākṣasas harassing others amid mist and mountain shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Nadī (rivers)
• Brahmarākṣasa
• Bhūta
• Pramatha
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma and violent chaos invite terrifying forces; purity and devotion are implied safeguards in Purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised; the verse intensifies the Kedārakhaṇḍa battle atmosphere around Śiva’s sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.