Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7
Devanagari script
पूर्वं प्रतिबला दैत्या मधुकैटभसन्निभाः । निविष्टास्त्वां तु संप्राप्य शलभा इव पावकम्
Transliteration
pūrvaṃ pratibalā daityā madhukaiṭabhasannibhāḥ | niviṣṭāstvāṃ tu saṃprāpya śalabhā iva pāvakam
Translation
往昔，那些强盛的阿修罗，如摩度与凯塔婆一般，猛然冲向尊神；然而一到尊神之前，便如飞蛾投火般败亡。
Word by Word
पूर्वम्formerly, earlier
पूर्वम्:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘formerly/previously’
प्रतिबलाःvery strong, mighty
प्रतिबलाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रतिबल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् — Masculine, Nominative plural
दैत्याःdemons (Daityas)
दैत्याः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative plural
मधुMadhu (name)
मधु:
Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootमधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिक-रूपम्; समासाङ्ग — first member of compound
कैटभKaiṭabha (name)
कैटभ:
Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootकैटभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिक-रूपम्; समासाङ्ग — second member of compound
सन्निभाःresembling Madhu and Kaiṭabha
सन्निभाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्; ‘मधुकैटभसन्निभ’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधुकैटभयोः सन्निभाः) — Masculine, Nominative plural; genitive-tatpurusha sense ‘resembling Madhu and Kaiṭabha’
निविष्टाःhaving entered / having rushed in
निविष्टाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootनि-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् — Past passive participle; Masculine, Nominative plural
त्वाम्you
त्वाम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम् — Accusative singular (pronoun)
तुbut, indeed
तु:
Sambandha/Discourse particle
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) — particle ‘but/indeed’
संप्राप्यhaving reached, after attaining
संप्राप्य:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (तुमुन्-न) — gerund (absolutive) ‘having reached’
शलभाःmoths
शलभाः:
Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootशलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative plural
इवlike
इव:
Upamā-dyotaka (Comparator)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (उपमा-वाचक) — comparative particle ‘like/as’
पावकम्fire
पावकम्:
Upameya/Ālambana (Object of comparison)
TypeNoun
Rootपावक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम् — Masculine, Accusative singular
Speaker
Indra (within Nārada’s narration)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A surge of mighty daityas, dark and armored, rush toward Viṣṇu; as they near his blazing tejas they crumble like moths consumed by a lamp-flame, emphasizing the aura as the weapon.
Characters & Entities
I
IndraV
ViṣṇuD
DaityasM
MadhuK
KaiṭabhaFAQs
Adharma cannot endure near the Divine; evil is self-destroyed when it rushes toward righteousness.
No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.
None.