Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
यथा निशा विना चन्द्रं दिवसो भास्करं विना । न शोभते मुहूर्तं वै तथा सेना विनायका
yathā niśā vinā candraṃ divaso bhāskaraṃ vinā | na śobhate muhūrtaṃ vai tathā senā vināyakā
Wie die Nacht ohne Mond und der Tag ohne Sonne nicht einmal einen Augenblick leuchten, so kann auch ein Heer ohne Führer nicht gedeihen.
Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating)
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied)
Scene: A symbolic composition: night sky dim without the moon, day muted without the sun; juxtaposed with an army in disarray lacking a commander—an allegory for leadership as illumination.
FAQs
Right leadership (nāyaka/senāpati) is essential for harmony and success, just as celestial lights are essential for the beauty of time.
None; the verse uses a metaphor within the Skanda-origin narrative.
None.