Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तथा शूलेन महता तं जघान पुरंदरः । तच्छूलं शतधा चूर्णं नमुचेरंगमाश्रितम्

Transliteration

tathā śūlena mahatā taṃ jaghāna puraṃdaraḥ | tacchūlaṃ śatadhā cūrṇaṃ namuceraṃgamāśritam

Translation

ฉันนั้นเอง ปุรันทราได้แทงเขาด้วยตรีศูลอันยิ่งใหญ่; แต่ตรีศูลนั้นเมื่อถึงกายนมุจิ ก็แหลกเป็นร้อยเสี่ยง

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise; thus
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in the same way)

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; neuter, instrumental singular

• महता: great; huge
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; neuter, instrumental singular (agreeing with शूलेन)

• तम्: him (Namuci)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; pronoun, masculine accusative singular

• जघान: struck; smote
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect, 3rd person singular

• पुरंदरः: Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; pronoun used adjectivally, neuter nom/acc sg

• शूलम्: spear/trident
• शूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter nominative/accusative singular

• शतधा: into a hundred pieces
• शतधा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-प्रकारवाचक (in a hundred ways/pieces)

• चूर्णम्: powder; fragments
• चूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshana (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter nominative/accusative singular (predicate noun)

• नमुचेः: of Namuci
• नमुचेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; masculine, genitive singular

• अङ्गम्: body; limb
• अङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter, accusative singular

• आश्रितम्: having adhered to; resting on
• आश्रितम्: Kriya-visheshana (State/अवस्था)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle, neuter nom/acc sg (agreeing with शूलम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Purandara) thrusts a massive trident; upon touching Namuci it bursts into a hundred pieces like shattered crystal, fragments radiating outward while Namuci remains unhurt.

Characters & Entities

• Purandara (Indra)
• Namuci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When evil is protected by extraordinary boons, victory comes through dharmic intelligence and divine ordinance, not simply through stronger weapons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa frames the narrative within Kedāra’s sacred landscape, but this particular verse is not a direct tīrtha-māhātmya statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is part of the battle narration.