Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ततस्तमसि संशांते दैत्येन्द्राः प्राप्तचक्षुषः । चक्रुः क्रुरेण तमसा देवानीकं महाद्भुतम्

Transliteration

tatastamasi saṃśāṃte daityendrāḥ prāptacakṣuṣaḥ | cakruḥ krureṇa tamasā devānīkaṃ mahādbhutam

Translation

جب وہ تاریکی فرو نشست ہوئی تو دَیتیہ سرداروں کی بینائی لوٹ آئی؛ پھر انہوں نے ایک بے رحم اندھیرے کے ذریعے دیوتاؤں کی فوج کے سامنے ایک نہایت عجیب و حیرت انگیز، فریب انگیز منظر قائم کر دیا۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तदनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tamasi: in darkness
• tamasi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• saṃśānte: having subsided/ceased
• saṃśānte: Adhikaraṇa (Qualifying/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-śam (धातु) + ta (कृत्) → saṃśānta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; tamasi इति विशेषणम्

• daityendrāḥ: lords of the Daityas
• daityendrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya + indra (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्राः)

• prāptacakṣuṣaḥ: having regained sight
• prāptacakṣuṣaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त) + cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; दैत्येन्द्राः इति विशेषणम् (those who have obtained sight)

• cakruḥ: they made/caused
• cakruḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• krureṇa: cruel/terrible
• krureṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; tamasā इति विशेषणम्

• tamasā: by darkness
• tamasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• devānīkam: the army of the gods
• devānīkam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + anīka (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् अनीकम्)

• mahādbhutam: very wondrous
• mahādbhutam: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + adbhuta (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् अद्भुतम्); devānīkam इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast battlefield as the oppressive darkness lifts; daitya-lords regain sight and conjure a second, cruel veil of darkness that rolls like a black wave toward the deva host, creating a bewildering, uncanny spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Deva-anīka (army of the gods)
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after clarity returns, hostile tendencies can recreate delusion; vigilance is required to protect discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.