Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

प्रतस्थे रथमास्थाय युद्धाय दितिजैः सह । नीतो मातलिनाभ्येत्य सादरं स धनुर्धरः

Transliteration

pratasthe rathamāsthāya yuddhāya ditijaiḥ saha | nīto mātalinābhyetya sādaraṃ sa dhanurdharaḥ

Translation

Den Wagen besteigend, zog jener bogenführende Held aus, um gegen die diti-geborenen Feinde zu kämpfen. Da trat Mātali heran und geleitete ihn ehrerbietig weiter.

Word by Word

• प्रतस्थे: set out, departed
• प्रतस्थे: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्गः—प्र

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having mounted
• आस्थाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); उपसर्गः—आ; अर्थः—‘आरोह्य’

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradāna/Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दितिजैः: with the Diti-born (demons)
• दितिजैः: Sahakāraka (Association/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दितिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahārtha (Comitative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (postposition meaning ‘with’)

• नीतः: led, guided
• नीतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मातलिना: by Mātali (Indra’s charioteer)
• मातलिना: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभ्येत्य: having approached
• अभ्येत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); उपसर्गः—अभि

• सादरम्: respectfully, with attention
• सादरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; द्वितीया-एकवचन नपुंसक-रूपं क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial accusative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• धनुर्धरः: the bow-bearer, archer
• धनुर्धरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धनुः धरति इति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Brahmakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gleaming chariot surges forward; the hero stands with bow drawn, while Mātali, dignified and attentive, holds the reins, guiding through cloud-laden skies toward battle.

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Daityas (Diti-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous struggle against adharma is supported by divine assistance when undertaken with duty and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates preparation and departure for battle.