Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथ भग्नं बलं दृष्ट्वा दानवैर्मधुसूदनः । आरुह्य गरुडं तूर्णं कालप्रभमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

atha bhagnaṃ balaṃ dṛṣṭvā dānavairmadhusūdanaḥ | āruhya garuḍaṃ tūrṇaṃ kālaprabhamupādravat

Translation

پھر دانَووں کے ہاتھوں لشکر کو ٹوٹا ہوا دیکھ کر مدھوسودن نے فوراً گرڑ پر سوار ہو کر کالپربھا پر جھپٹ کر حملہ کیا۔

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक) = ‘ततः/अनन्तरम्’ (then)

• भग्नम्: broken; routed
• भग्नम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त (past passive participle) ‘भग्न’ ; ‘बलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• बलम्: army; force
• बलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘दृष्ट्वा’ (having seen)

• दानवैः: by the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवैः: Karana/Hetu (Agent/instrumental cause; by the demons)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• मधुसूदनः: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• मधुसूदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-सूदन (प्रातिपदिक; मधु + सूदन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘मधुं सूदयति’ (slayer of Madhu)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘आरुह्य’ (having mounted)

• गरुडम्: Garuḍa
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तूर्णम्: swiftly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = शीघ्रम् (quickly)

• कालप्रभम्: Kālaprabha (a demon/foe)
• कालप्रभम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; काल + प्रभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘कालस्य प्रभः/प्रभम्’ (named Kālaprabha / having time-like splendor)

• उपाद्रवत्: he rushed toward; attacked
• उपाद्रवत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, radiant and composed, swiftly mounting Garuḍa; Garuḍa’s wings spread wide as they surge toward the dark, formidable Kālaprabha; broken devas in the background regain hope.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• Garuḍa
• Kālaprabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is endangered, the Lord acts decisively; divine protection is portrayed as swift and purposeful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as narrative support within a tīrtha-glorification chapter; the tīrtha name is not specified in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.