Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

निहंतु दस्यून्प्रलयानलार्चिर्ज्वलत्त्रिशूलं त्रिपुरांतकस्य । शार्दूलसिंहर्क्षवृकादिहिंस्रान्संत्रासयत्वीशधनुःपिनाकम्

Transliteration

nihaṃtu dasyūnpralayānalārcirjvalattriśūlaṃ tripurāṃtakasya | śārdūlasiṃharkṣavṛkādihiṃsrānsaṃtrāsayatvīśadhanuḥpinākam

Translation

愿三城终结者的炽燃三叉戟——如坏灭之火的焰光——诛灭盗贼；愿主之弓“毗那迦”震慑虎、狮、熊、狼等诸般凶兽。

Word by Word

• निहन्तु: may (it/he) slay
• निहन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) उपसर्ग-नि
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• दस्यून्: bandits, enemies
• दस्यून्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रलय-अनल-अर्चिः-ज्वलत्-त्रिशूलम्: the trident blazing with flames like the fire of dissolution
• प्रलय-अनल-अर्चिः-ज्वलत्-त्रिशूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय + अनल + अर्चिस् + ज्वलत् (कृदन्त) + त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक); प्रलयानलार्चिर्ज्वलत्त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिपुरान्तकस्य: of Tripurāntaka (Śiva)
• त्रिपुरान्तकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक); त्रिपुरान्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन (Singular)

• शार्दूल-सिंह-ऋक्ष-वृक-आदि-हिंस्रान्: ferocious ones such as tigers, lions, bears, wolves, etc.
• शार्दूल-सिंह-ऋक्ष-वृक-आदि-हिंस्रान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल + सिंह + ऋक्ष + वृक + आदि + हिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक); शार्दूलसिंहर्क्षवृकादिहिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• संत्रासयतु: may (it) frighten, cause terror
• संत्रासयतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रस् (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम्; णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (Causative)

• ईश-धनुः-पिनाकम्: Pināka, the bow of the Lord (Śiva)
• ईश-धनुः-पिनाकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश + धनुस् + पिनाक (प्रातिपदिक); ईशधनुःपिनाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet (contextual attribution within Brāhma Khaṇḍa → Brahmottara Khaṇḍa is uncertain from this single verse).

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark forest path with lurking tigers and wolves; bandits emerge from rocks; above, Tripurāntaka’s triśūla blazes like pralaya-fire, while pināka arcs as a luminous bow forming a protective perimeter that makes beasts recoil.

Characters & Entities

• Tripurāntaka (Śiva)
• Triśūla (Śiva’s trident)
• Pināka (Śiva’s bow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Śiva’s divine powers (Triśūla and Pināka) symbolizes dharmic protection—inner and outer—where fear, violence, and lawlessness are subdued by the Lord’s guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse, as given, functions as a protective invocation and does not explicitly name a particular tīrtha or sthala; further verses from the same adhyāya are needed to map it to a specific Skanda Purāṇa sacred geography episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual injunction (snāna, dāna, vrata, or japa) is stated in this verse; it reads as a benedictory/protective utterance invoking Śiva’s weapons.