Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ववर्ष भिषजोर्मूर्ध्नि संछाद्याकाशगोचरम् । तावप्यस्त्रैः स्मृतैः सर्वाश्छेदतुर्दैत्यसायकान्

Transliteration

vavarṣa bhiṣajormūrdhni saṃchādyākāśagocaram | tāvapyastraiḥ smṛtaiḥ sarvāśchedaturdaityasāyakān

Translation

他将飞矢如雨倾泻在两位天界医师的头顶，遮蔽了长空。然那二位忆起自身神兵，尽皆斩断魔族（Daitya）射来的诸箭。

Word by Word

• ववर्ष: rained (down)
• ववर्ष: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भिषजोः: of the two physicians (Aśvins)
• भिषजोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिषज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); द्विवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• संछाद्य: having covered
• संछाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having covered)

• आकाशगोचरम्: the sky-region
• आकाशगोचरम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश+गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—आकाशस्य गोचरम् (the sky-region/airspace)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• स्मृतैः: remembered/recited (as mantras)
• स्मृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अस्त्रैः)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दैत्यसायकान्)

• अच्छेदतुः: they two cut down
• अच्छेदतुः: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; (a-augment)

• दैत्यसायकान्: the demon’s arrows
• दैत्यसायकान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य+सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समासः—दैत्यस्य सायकाः (demon’s arrows)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense rain of arrows blankets the sky over the Aśvins; they stand poised, invoking remembered astras, creating a shimmering defensive lattice that slices the Daitya’s missiles mid-flight.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvins
• Daitya (demon warrior)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of sacred knowledge (smṛti of astras/mantras) becomes protection when danger ‘covers the sky’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it is a combat episode within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights mantra-empowered weaponry through remembrance.