Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इति मत्वा तदा शक्रो वज्रेण शतपर्वणा । चिच्छेद तच्छिरांस्येव तत्क्षणादभवद्वधः

Transliteration

iti matvā tadā śakro vajreṇa śataparvaṇā | ciccheda tacchirāṃsyeva tatkṣaṇādabhavadvadhaḥ

Translation

ครั้นคิดดังนั้นแล้ว ศักระ (อินทรา) จึงใช้วัชระอันมีร้อยปุ่มตัดศีรษะของเขาเสีย; ในขณะนั้นเองการสังหารก็สำเร็จ

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• शक्रः: Indra (Śakra)
• शक्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• वज्रेण: with the thunderbolt
• वज्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• शतपर्वणा: having a hundred joints (many-segmented)
• शतपर्वणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शतं पर्वाणि यस्य/शतपर्वन्); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वज्रेण)

• चिच्छेद: cut off
• चिच्छेद: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शिरांसि)

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; कालवाचक

• अभवत्: became/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वधः: slaying/death
• वधः: Karta (कर्ता) / Bhava (भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, resolute, raises the many-jointed vajra and in a single instant severs the heads of Viśvarūpa; the moment is frozen between divine authority and impending sin.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vajra
• Viśvarūpa (implied, multi-headed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence against a sacred person (especially a brāhmaṇa) brings immediate and grave spiritual consequence, regardless of power or status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this line; it narrates the act leading to Brahmahatyā within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the slaying that triggers later expiatory themes.