Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

लक्षको टिसहस्राणि प्रधानासुरयूथपाः । एकैकस्य तु सेनायास्तेषां संख्या न विद्यते

Transliteration

lakṣako ṭisahasrāṇi pradhānāsurayūthapāḥ | ekaikasya tu senāyāsteṣāṃ saṃkhyā na vidyate

Translation

Die führenden Anführer der asurischen Scharen zählten sich nach Hunderttausenden, nach Krores und nach Tausenden; doch die Stärke des Heeres eines jeden von ihnen war nicht zu ermessen.

Word by Word

• लक्ष-कोटि-सहस्राणि: hundreds of thousands and crores (of thousands)
• लक्ष-कोटि-सहस्राणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-द्वन्द्वसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (numerical aggregate)

• प्रधान-असुर-यूथपाः: the chief leaders of the demon troops
• प्रधान-असुर-यूथपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन

• एकैकस्य: of each and every (one)
• एकैकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकैक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व/इतरेतरयोग (एक + एक); पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (Gen.), एकवचन; विशेषणम् सेनायाः-शब्दस्य

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle: but/indeed)

• सेनायाः: of the army
• सेनायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen.), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen.), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• संख्या: number, count
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view of endless asura commanders and their divisions stretching to the horizon; banners like a forest; dust clouds rising in layers.

Characters & Entities

• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may appear numerically overwhelming, yet it remains finite before the infinite power of dharma upheld by the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region is the overarching sacred frame; the verse itself emphasizes the scale of opposing forces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.