Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

संहतानि च सर्वाणि तदा तूर्याण्यवादयन् । अथ भग्नं बलं प्रेक्ष्य हतवीरं महारणे

Transliteration

saṃhatāni ca sarvāṇi tadā tūryāṇyavādayan | atha bhagnaṃ balaṃ prekṣya hatavīraṃ mahāraṇe

Translation

ثمّ، وقد اجتمعت قواهم جميعًا، قرعوا آلات الحرب. لكن لما رأوا الجيش قد تحطّم، وأنّ الأبطال قد قُتلوا في تلك المعركة العظمى، اشتدّ الأمر وخيّم الخطر.

Word by Word

• संहतानि: assembled together
• संहतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहत (कृदन्त, सं-हन्/सं-धा धात्वर्थे)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तूर्याणि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तूर्याणि)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तूर्याणि: musical instruments
• तूर्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अवादयन्: caused to be played / played
• अवादयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) + णिच्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक

• भग्नम्: broken, routed
• भग्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त, भञ्ज्-धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बलम्)

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• प्रेक्ष्य: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय), अव्ययभावः; ‘having seen’

• हतवीरम्: whose heroes were slain
• हतवीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त, हन्-धातु) + वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (हता वीरा यस्य तत्)

• महारणे: in the great battle
• महारणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् रणः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Armies gather and sound drums, conches, and horns; immediately the eye meets a devastated field—broken chariots, fallen champions, scattered weapons—casting a shadow over the martial pageantry.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is unstable in war; arrogance collapses quickly when dharma-protected heroes fall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Kaumārikā battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of battlefield events.