Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सिंहवेषोऽभवद्दैत्यो महाबलपराक्रमः । देवी तस्य शिरोयावच्छेत्तुं बुद्धिमधारयत्

Transliteration

siṃhaveṣo'bhavaddaityo mahābalaparākramaḥ | devī tasya śiroyāvacchettuṃ buddhimadhārayat

Translation

อสูรนั้นแปลงเป็นสิงห์ มีพละกำลังและเดชานุภาพยิ่งใหญ่ พระเทวีทรงดำริจะตัดศีรษะของมันให้ขาด

Word by Word

• सिंहवेषः: lion-disguise
• सिंहवेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह + वेष (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सिंहस्य वेषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दैत्यः: the demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाबलपराक्रमः: of great strength and valor
• महाबलपराक्रमः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—महच्च तत् बलं च पराक्रमश्च यस्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; ‘महाबल’ + ‘पराक्रम’ इति निर्धारण)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (शिरः = शिरसम्); ‘head’

• यावत्: so as to / up to
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limiter/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक—‘as far as/so that’

• छेत्तुम्: to cut off
• छेत्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive; ‘कर्तुं’ अर्थे—‘to cut off’

• बुद्धिम्: intention/plan
• बुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधारयत्: held/formed (in mind)
• अधारयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon suddenly takes a lion-form, massive and powerful; the Goddess, unwavering, focuses on the act of beheading—her gaze fixed, weapons poised.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Devī (Durgā/Caṇḍikā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Evil may imitate the symbols of power, but divine discernment pierces disguise and targets the root (the ‘head’) of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region is the narrative container; no specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.