Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अन्धक उवाच । भवत्वेवमिति प्राह बलमास्थाय केवलम् । विष्णुवर्जं विजेष्येऽहं स्वबलेन महेश्वर

Transliteration

andhaka uvāca | bhavatvevamiti prāha balamāsthāya kevalam | viṣṇuvarjaṃ vijeṣye'haṃ svabalena maheśvara

Translation

อันธกะกล่าวว่า “เป็นเช่นนั้นเถิด” แล้วอาศัยเพียงกำลังของตนเองประกาศว่า “โอ้มหेशวร เว้นแต่วิษณุแล้ว เราจักพิชิตทั้งหมดด้วยฤทธิ์เดชของเราเอง”

Word by Word

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• भवतु: let it be
• भवतु: Kriya (Quoted speech/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus, so
• एवम्: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• बलम्: strength, force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having relied on / having taken support
• आस्थाय: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषण (indeclinable adverbial use: ‘only/merely’)

• विष्णुवर्जम्: excluding Viṣṇu
• विष्णुवर्जम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + वर्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (exclusion)

• विजेष्ये: I will conquer
• विजेष्ये: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + जि (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वबलेन: by (my) own strength
• स्वबलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Andhaka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka responds: ‘So be it.’ He stands energized, chest lifted, yet still addressing Śiva as Maheśvara—an image of mixed devotion and burgeoning arrogance.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reliance on mere personal power, when fueled by conquest, foreshadows adharma; Purāṇas warn against pride arising from boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.