Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

यज्ञघ्नो गदया गुर्व्या संकर्षणमताडयत् । संकर्षणहतः शीर्ष्णि मुसलेन पपात ह

Transliteration

yajñaghno gadayā gurvyā saṃkarṣaṇamatāḍayat | saṃkarṣaṇahataḥ śīrṣṇi musalena papāta ha

Translation

祭灭魔（Yajñaghna）用沉重的狼牙棒击打大力罗摩（Saṃkarṣaṇa）。但当大力罗摩用杵猛击其头时，他便倒下了。

Word by Word

• यज्ञघ्नः: Yajñaghna (the sacrifice-slayer)
• यज्ञघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य घ्नः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• गुर्व्या: heavy, mighty
• गुर्व्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गदया)

• संकर्षणम्: Saṃkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• संकर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• अताडयत्: struck, beat
• अताडयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √तड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• संकर्षणहतः: slain/struck by Saṃkarṣaṇa
• संकर्षणहतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकर्षण + हत (√हन्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (संकर्षणेन हतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यज्ञघ्नः)

• शीर्ष्णि: on the head
• शीर्ष्णि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• मुसलेन: with a club/pestle
• मुसलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ह: indeed
• ह: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis)

Speaker

Narrative voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yajñaghna strikes Saṃkarṣaṇa with a heavy mace; Saṃkarṣaṇa retaliates, smashing his head with the musala/plough-weapon, and the foe collapses.

Characters & Entities

• Yajñaghna
• Saṃkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• gadā
• musala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obstruction of yajña and tīrtha-dharma is portrayed as self-destructive; divine-aligned strength removes what blocks sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The battle unfolds within the Muktitīrtha episode of Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly, the verse upholds yajña (sacrifice) by depicting the fall of one named ‘Yajñaghna,’ the obstructer of sacrificial order.