Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

महिषासुरपुत्रोसौ समायाति गजासुरः । प्रमथन्प्रमथान्सर्वान्निजवीर्य मदोद्धतः

Transliteration

mahiṣāsuraputrosau samāyāti gajāsuraḥ | pramathanpramathānsarvānnijavīrya madoddhataḥ

Translation

مہیشاسُر کا بیٹا گجاسُر اب آگے بڑھتا چلا آتا ہے؛ اپنی ہی قوت کے نشے میں سرکش ہو کر وہ سامنے کے سب پرمَتھوں کو کچلتا اور پراگندہ کر دیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• महिषासुरपुत्रः: son of Mahiṣāsura
• महिषासुरपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषासुर + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महिषासुरस्य पुत्रः)

• असौ: that (one), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समायाति: comes, approaches
• समायाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गजासुरः: Gajāsura (the elephant-demon)
• गजासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (गज-रूपः असुरः)

• प्रमथन्: crushing, tormenting
• प्रमथन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मथ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; क्रियाविशेषणभावे/कर्तरि

• प्रमथान्: the Pramathas (Śiva’s attendants)
• प्रमथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रमथान्)

• निजवीर्य: by his own strength
• निजवीर्य: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (निजं वीर्यम्)

• मदोद्धतः: arrogant with intoxication/pride
• मदोद्धतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + उद्धत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मदेन उद्धतः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gajāsura—elephantine, towering, crowned—charges forward, trampling and scattering Śiva’s pramathas; dust, broken weapons, fleeing gaṇas, and a distant hint of Kāśī’s sacred skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Gajāsura
• Mahiṣāsura
• Pramatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride born of strength (vīrya-mada) drives adharma and inevitably brings confrontation with Śiva’s order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on the demon’s approach rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative description of the approaching threat.