Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अपतन्भूतले पार्थ च्छिन्नाभ्राणीव सर्वशः । ततस्तद्दानवं सैन्यं हतनाथमभूत्तदा

Transliteration

apatanbhūtale pārtha cchinnābhrāṇīva sarvaśaḥ | tatastaddānavaṃ sainyaṃ hatanāthamabhūttadā

Translation

فسقطوا على الأرض، يا بارثا، في كل ناحية، كالسحب الممزّقة. عندئذٍ صار جيش الدانافا بلا قائد، إذ قُتل رئيسه.

Word by Word

• अपतन्: fell down
• अपतन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• च्छिन्नाभ्राणि: like torn clouds
• च्छिन्नाभ्राणि: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: च्छिन्न (कृदन्त, छिद्-धातु) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (च्छिन्नानि अभ्राणि)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• सर्वशः: everywhere, in all ways
• सर्वशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thereafter)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सैन्यम्)

• दानवं: demonic
• दानवं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सैन्यम्)

• सैन्यं: army
• सैन्यं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• हतनाथम्: leaderless (whose lord was slain)
• हतनाथम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त, हन्-धातु) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (हतः नाथः यस्य तत्)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (note: 'pārtha' appears as a conventional epic address within narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Demon warriors tumble to the ground in all directions, scattered like fragments of torn monsoon clouds; banners droop, chariots overturn, and the host reels without its commander.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (addressed)
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the guiding force of adharma is removed, its followers scatter and collapse without direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.