Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 185

Devanagari script

वृत्रासुरो दैत्यपतिश्च शक्र ते समाधिना परमेणैव जय्यः । निशम्य वाक्यं परमेष्ठिनो हरिः सस्मार देवं वृषभध्वजं तदा

Transliteration

vṛtrāsuro daityapatiśca śakra te samādhinā parameṇaiva jayyaḥ | niśamya vākyaṃ parameṣṭhino hariḥ sasmāra devaṃ vṛṣabhadhvajaṃ tadā

Translation

“โอ้ศักระ วฤตราสุระผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งไทตยะนั้น เจ้าจะชนะได้ก็ด้วยสมาธิอันสูงสุดเท่านั้น” ครั้นได้ฟังพระดำรัสของปรเมษฐิน (พระพรหม) แล้ว หริ (อินทร์) ก็ระลึกถึงเทพผู้มีธงรูปโค คือพระศิวะ

Word by Word

• वृत्रासुरः: Vṛtra, the asura
• वृत्रासुरः: Karta (subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वृत्रः असुरः)

• दैत्यपतिः: lord of the Daityas
• दैत्यपतिः: Karta (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दैत्यानां पतिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समाधिना: by concentration/meditative absorption
• समाधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• परमेण: supreme
• परमेण: Karana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं समाधिना

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• जय्यः: conquerable
• जय्यः: Karta (predicate adjective of वृत्रासुरः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘जेतव्यः’ (to be conquered)

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; उपसर्ग: नि-

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (object of hearing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिनः: of Paramēṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिनः: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Indra/Viṣṇu epithet; here Indra)
• हरिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सस्मार: remembered / invoked
• सस्मार: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्- (सस्मार = सम्+स्मृ)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजम्: the Bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजम्: Karma (object, apposition to देवम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य सः) — शिवः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Brahmā (first line as counsel), then narrator notes Indra’s response

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śakra/Purandara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares Vṛtra conquerable only by supreme samādhi; Indra, hearing this, turns inward and remembers Śiva, the bull-bannered Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtrāsura
• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer battles are resolved by inner mastery; supreme samādhi and remembrance of Śiva are presented as the decisive refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in the verse; it supports the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śiva-centered sacred geography culminating in Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is parama-samādhi (highest meditative absorption), implying sustained austerity and focused worship.