Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

रावणः सैन्यसं ख्यानं रणोत्साहं तदाऽकरोत् । प्रययावंगदो दौत्ये माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे

Transliteration

rāvaṇaḥ sainyasaṃ khyānaṃ raṇotsāhaṃ tadā'karot | prayayāvaṃgado dautye māghaśuklādyavāsare

Translation

Daraufhin nahm Rāvaṇa die Zahl seiner Truppen in Augenschein und entfachte den Kampfesmut. Am ersten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte des Māgha brach Aṅgada als Gesandter zu seinem Auftrag auf.

Word by Word

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन

• सैन्यसङ्ख्यानम्: counting of the army
• सैन्यसङ्ख्यानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य + सङ्ख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: सैन्यस्य सङ्ख्यानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• रणोत्साहम्: battle-ardour
• रणोत्साहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: रणस्य उत्साहः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अकरोत्: did; made
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रययौ: set out; went forth
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः: प्र

• अङ्गदः: Aṅgada
• अङ्गदः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• दौत्ये: on a mission (as envoy)
• दौत्ये: Prayojana/Adhikarana (Purpose/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे: on the first day of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + शुक्ल + आद्य + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: माघस्य शुक्लस्य आद्यः वासरः (बहु-तत्पुरुष/समाहार)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa in council counts divisions of his army, drums and banners rising; simultaneously Aṅgada departs as envoy, stepping onto a causeway/shoreline with determined stride, carrying a message of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Aṅgada
• Māgha (Śukla pakṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in conflict, actions unfold through orderly decision and responsibility—envoy-work (dūtya) precedes destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a historical/time-marker within the Laṅkā narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the mention of Māgha is calendrical, not a vrata instruction here.