Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

विकोशं च ततः नंदकं खड्गमुत्तमम् । चर्म चाप्यमलं विष्णुः पदातिस्तानधावत

Transliteration

vikośaṃ ca tataḥ naṃdakaṃ khaḍgamuttamam | carma cāpyamalaṃ viṣṇuḥ padātistānadhāvata

Translation

پھر وِشنو نے اپنی برتر تلوار نندک کو نیام سے کھینچا، اور اپنا بے داغ ڈھال بھی تھام کر، پیدل ہی اُن پیادہ لشکریوں پر جھپٹ پڑا۔

Word by Word

• vikośam: the unsheathed state / drawing out
• vikośam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• naṃdakam: Nandaka (Viṣṇu’s sword)
• naṃdakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• khaḍgam: sword
• khaḍgam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; naṃdakam इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to khaḍgam)

• carma: shield/leather (buckler)
• carma: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also’

• amalam: spotless/pure
• amalam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to carma)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• padātiḥ: on foot (as a foot-soldier)
• padātiḥ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to viṣṇuḥ)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• adhāvata: ran towards / charged
• adhāvata: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-dhāv (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu unsheathes the supreme sword Nandaka, lifts a spotless shield, and charges on foot toward the enemy infantry.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Nandaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection of dharma is portrayed as active and fearless—Bhagavān Himself advances to restrain adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of a Kaumārikākhaṇḍa battle narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is martial narration (weapons, charging into battle).