Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा दानवः पार्थ वर्षयामास सायकैः । दानवस्य शरान्मुक्तान् छेदयामास केशवः

Transliteration

ityuktvā dānavaḥ pārtha varṣayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ | dānavasya śarānmuktān chedayāmāsa keśavaḥ

Translation

یوں کہہ کر، اے پارتھ، دانَو نے تیروں کی بارش کر دی؛ مگر کیشو نے دانَو کے چھوڑے ہوئے تیروں کو کاٹ کر ٹکڑے ٹکڑے کر دیا۔

Word by Word

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

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकाल (absolutive/gerund)

• dānavaḥ: the demon
• dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• pārtha: O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative); एकवचन

• varṣayāmāsa: caused to rain / showered
• varṣayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• sāyakaiḥ: with arrows
• sāyakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• dānavasya: of the demon
• dānavasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• śarān: arrows
• śarān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• muktān: released, shot
• muktān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक; √muc क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śarān)

• chedayāmāsa: cut down / severed
• chedayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha addressed within the verse; outer audience is the śrotṛ-gaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dānava unleashes a dense rain of arrows toward Arjuna’s side; Keśava stands poised, calmly severing the incoming shafts mid-flight, creating a glittering lattice of broken arrows in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Tālamēgha (implied)
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hostile force is rendered powerless before disciplined, divinely guided action; protection of dharma includes restraint and mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; the wider Revā Khaṇḍa situates the narrative in Narmadā’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.