Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73
Devanagari script
अल्पाक्षरो न मंत्रः किं सस्फुरो दैत्य दृश्यते । एवमुक्त्वा दैत्यमुक्तं गृहीत्वा कंदुकं च तम्
Transliteration
alpākṣaro na maṃtraḥ kiṃ sasphuro daitya dṛśyate | evamuktvā daityamuktaṃ gṛhītvā kaṃdukaṃ ca tam
Translation
“如此寥寥数音也称真言吗？为何这魔众竟似战栗？”言毕，他便夺取那罗刹所放之兵刃，宛如抓住一枚小球。
Word by Word
अल्पाक्षरःhaving few syllables
अल्पाक्षरः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = 'few-syllabled' (अल्पः अक्षरः यस्य)
नnot
न:
Pratishedha (Negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation)
मन्त्रःa mantra
मन्त्रः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
किम्what? / is it?
किम्:
Prashna (Interrogative marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative particle: 'what?')
सस्फुरःtrembling/quivering
सस्फुरः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसस्फुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of दैत्यः (implicit)
दैत्यO demon
दैत्य:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootदैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
दृश्यतेis seen/appears
दृश्यते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: thus)
उक्त्वाhaving said
उक्त्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)
दैत्यthe demon
दैत्य:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
मुक्तम्released/freed
मुक्तम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of दैत्य
गृहीत्वाhaving seized/taken
गृहीत्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)
कंदुकम्the ball
कंदुकम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकंदुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
तम्him
तम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; refers to the demon
Speaker
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Tāraka releases a blazing missile; Skanda, smiling, catches it mid-flight as if catching a child’s ball; the asura’s face shows shock and trembling.
Characters & Entities
S
SkandaD
Daitya (Tāraka and/or demon forces)FAQs
Divine power rooted in dharma renders hostile forces insignificant; true strength is effortless when aligned with cosmic order.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s heroic narration of Skanda.
None in this shloka; it is a battlefield episode emphasizing divine prowess.