Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सेनाद्वये तच्च पपात शीघ्रं यस्यैव यत्रास्ति च मृत्युमर्म । सर्वरोमसु भीष्मस्य कंठे राधेयद्रोणयोः

Transliteration

senādvaye tacca papāta śīghraṃ yasyaiva yatrāsti ca mṛtyumarma | sarvaromasu bhīṣmasya kaṃṭhe rādheyadroṇayoḥ

Translation

وسقطت تلك العلامة المتّقدة سريعًا على الجيشين كليهما—تمامًا على موضع المَرْمَا القاتل لدى كلّ واحد: على بهيشما فوق جميع شعيرات جسده، وعلى رادهيَة (كارنا) ودرونا على الحلق.

Word by Word

• सेनाद्वये: in the two armies
• सेनाद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘सेनयोः द्वयम्’ (in the two armies)

• तत्: that (ash/thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्ययम् (indeed/just)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb: where)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• मृत्युमर्म: death-vital spot (fatal point)
• मृत्युमर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘मृत्योः मर्म’ (vital spot of death)

• सर्वरोमसु: on all the hairs/pores
• सर्वरोमसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘सर्वेषु रोमसु’ (on all hairs/pores)

• भीष्मस्य: of Bhīṣma
• भीष्मस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कंठे: on the neck
• कंठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• राधेयद्रोणयोः: of Rādheya (Karna) and Droṇa
• राधेयद्रोणयोः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः — ‘राधेयः च द्रोणः च’ (of/at Rādheya and Droṇa)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing sign/mark descends upon both armies, landing precisely on each warrior’s fatal point: Bhīṣma’s entire body-hair, and the throats of Karṇa and Droṇa—an ominous, supernatural targeting.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Karna (Rādheya)
• Droṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mightiest warriors are bound by destiny and the law of the body; pride in strength is checked by the Purāṇic reminder of mortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; the focus is narrative—revealing the ‘marmas’ within a dharma-tinged war account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive, not injunctional.