Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

जह्येनमद्याशु महेंद्र दैत्यं दिवौकसां घोरतरं भयावहम् । फेनेन चैवाशु महासुरेन्द्रमपां समीपेन दुरासदेन

Transliteration

jahyenamadyāśu maheṃdra daityaṃ divaukasāṃ ghorataraṃ bhayāvaham | phenena caivāśu mahāsurendramapāṃ samīpena durāsadena

Translation

จงสังหารมันเสียเดี๋ยวนี้ เร็วเข้าเถิด ข้าแต่พระมหินทร์ อสูรตนนี้ผู้นำความหวาดกลัวอย่างยิ่งมาสู่เหล่าทวยเทพ จงกำจัดจอมอสูรผู้ยิ่งใหญ่นั้นด้วยฟองน้ำ ใกล้แหล่งน้ำโดยพลัน

Word by Word

• जह्य: slay
• जह्य: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन (2nd sg. impv.)

• एनम्: this one / him
• एनम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (acc. sg.)

• अद्य: today / now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• महेन्द्र: O Mahendra
• महेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-indra (प्रातिपदिक; महा + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् इन्द्रः) (voc. sg.)

• दैत्यम्: the demon
• दैत्यम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the gods
• दिवौकसाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diva-okas (प्रातिपदिक; दिव + ओकस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिवि ओकः यस्य) ‘gods’ (gen. pl.)

• घोरतरम्: more terrible
• घोरतरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora-tara (प्रातिपदिक; घोर + तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषण (acc. sg.)

• भयावहम्: bringing fear
• भयावहम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; भय + आवह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (भयम् आवहति इति) (acc. sg.)

• फेनेन: with foam
• फेनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phena (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• महासुरेन्द्रम्: the great lord of demons
• महासुरेन्द्रम्: Karman (Object, apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-asura-indra (प्रातिपदिक; महा + असुर + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (असुराणाम् इन्द्रः) कर्मधारयपूर्वक (महान्) (acc. sg.)

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• समीपेन: by proximity / near (to)
• समीपेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• दुरासदेन: hard to approach
• दुरासदेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-āsada (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + आसद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दुर् + आसद ‘hard to approach’) (instr. sg.)

Speaker

Ākāśavāṇī (divine voice) addressing Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: riverbank/ghat (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial injunction: Indra must slay Namuci not with ordinary weapons but with foam, and specifically near water—an ingenious, almost paradoxical method.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Mahendra)
• Namuci
• Devas (divaukas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected not only by strength but by right means (upāya) aligned with divine order; ingenuity can fulfill justice without violating constraints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references ‘near the waters’ as the tactical setting; it does not explicitly glorify a named tīrtha, though it sits within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred Himalayan frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; ‘foam near water’ is a narrative instruction for slaying Namuci.