Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नानावाद्यपरिस्यंदसाग्रेसरमहारथाः । नानाशौर्यकथासक्तास्तस्मिन्सैन्ये महारथाः

Transliteration

nānāvādyaparisyaṃdasāgresaramahārathāḥ | nānāśauryakathāsaktāstasminsainye mahārathāḥ

Translation

وفي ذلك الجيش كان عظماءُ فرسانِ العجلات يقودون المقدّمة وسطَ تدفّق أصواتِ شتّى الآلات؛ وكان أولئك المقاتلون الجبابرة مُنهمكين في سردِ حكاياتٍ متنوّعة عن البأس والشجاعة.

Word by Word

• nānā-vādya-parisyaṃda-sāgresara-mahārathāḥ: great chariot-warriors leading the procession of various instruments
• nānā-vādya-parisyaṃda-sāgresara-mahārathāḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + vādya (प्रातिपदिक) + parisyaṃda (प्रातिपदिक) + sa-āgresara (प्रातिपदिक) + mahāratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (नानावाद्यपरिस्यन्दस्य अग्रसराः महा-रथाः)

• nānā-śaurya-kathā-āsaktāḥ: attached to tales of various acts of valor
• nānā-śaurya-kathā-āsaktāḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + śaurya (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक) + āsakta (कृदन्त; सञ्ज्/सक्त धात्वर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-कृदन्तः ‘आसक्त’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नानाशौर्यकथासु आसक्ताः)

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• sainye: army
• sainye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• mahārathāḥ: great chariot-warriors
• mahārathāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vanguard of mahārathas advancing with streaming, overlapping sounds of many instruments; warriors animatedly recount valor-stories, gesturing with weapons, chariots rolling forward in formation.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāratha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boasting in one’s prowess and being carried by noise and spectacle is contrasted with the quiet strength of dharma-guided action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is part of a war-march description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.